Colchester United will take on Redbridge FC in the BBC Essex Senior Cup final on Tuesday 19th March at the Chigwell Construction Stadium (KO 7:45pm).
Tickets are priced at £15 for adults, £8 for seniors aged 65+ and under 17/18s and £2 for under 16s. Click HERE to get yours.
Colchester United fans will be situated in the SD Samuels Stand (Blocks 6-8), while Redbridge supporters will be in the Jax Sun Services Stand (Blocks 1-57).
The U’s have played four matches on the way to the final beating Heybridge Swifts, Walthamstow FC, Buckhurst Hill and most recently Hashtag United.
Heybridge Swifts
It all began on a cold and wet evening in November with Heybridge Swifts the opponents at the JobServe Community Stadium.
The U’s secured a dominant 4-0 victory with Liam Bailey opting for a 3-5-2 formation, with Kaan Bennett and Donell Thomas posing a constant threat to the opposition's defence.
Colchester displayed early attacking intent, with Bennett almost converting Thorn's cross in the first minute. The match then remained balanced for the first twenty-five minutes until a breakthrough by Donell Thomas in the forty-first minute saw him set up Bennett for a comfortable tap-in.
Colchester doubled their lead two minutes later as Thomas beat the offside trap and clinically finished past the goalkeeper. The first fifteen minutes of the second half were uneventful, with the U's controlling possession.
Bailey then made strategic substitutions, and the team found renewed energy. Substitute T'Aizo Marcel-Dilaver scored the third goal before securing his brace five minutes later by calmly taking the ball past the goalkeeper.
Walthamstow FC
An away clash in London awaited the U’s next. It was a freezing evening in the capital with temperatures reaching -3 degrees.
Despite that, the youngsters secured a hard-fought victory against the Stow, progressing to the next round after a tense penalty shootout ended 3-1, following a goalless ninety minutes.
The freezing conditions saw both teams struggle on a severely affected pitch with chances few and scarce in the first half.
The U’s had one decent opportunity to go ahead through Owura Edwards’ powerful left-footed shot, but the Walthamstow goalkeeper made a crucial save just before half-time.
Paul Konchesky and Dave Huzzey then made some strategic second-half changes, injecting fresh energy. Colchester dominated possession but faced resilient opposition. Despite numerous chances, including those from Brad Ihionvien and Kaan Bennett, the U's couldn't break the deadlock.
Colchester missed several opportunities, hitting the side netting or narrowly missing the target. As the match headed into added time, a fingertip save denied Chay Cooper's attempt.
With the clash deadlocked, the teams entered a penalty shootout. Tom Smith emerged as the hero, saving two penalties, securing Colchester's progression with a 3-1 shootout victory.
Buckhurst Hill
A quarter-final back at home was next with the U’s delivering a stellar performance, securing a spot in the semi-final with a commanding 5-1 victory over Buckhurst Hill.
The team, overseen by Konchesky and Huzzey dominated the match, with the likes of Tom Smith, Owura Edwards, Brad Ihionvien, Marley Marshall Miranda, and Chay Cooper all starting.
The U’s took the lead after thirty minutes thanks to Cooper’s tap in before extending their advantage through Ihionvien three minutes into the second half.
Oscar Thorn’s third goal seemed to have put the clash to bed but Buckhurst Hill managed to pull one back after seventy-three minutes.
Nonetheless, any hopes of a comeback were swiftly crushed when Miranda converted brilliantly from outside the box.
Cooper then added a fifth with a clever free-kick into the bottom corner, sealing the U21s' dominant victory taking them into the semi-final.
Hashtag United
Colchester were at home yet again when they faced Hashtag United at the end of February, with the U’s securing a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
The Tags took an early lead with Harry Haysom's near-post header, but Brad Ihionvien equalised after twenty-five minutes. Despite the U's dominating possession, the first half ended 1-1.
The second half saw a flurry of goals, as Wilkinson and Ihionvien put Colchester 3-1 ahead after fifty-five minutes. Djemali's late goal for Hashtag United in the ninetieth minute set the stage for a tense finish, but the U’s held on to secure their place in the Essex Senior Cup Final.
Redbridge FC
Redbridge FC compete in the Isthmian League Division One North and currently sit fifteenth. The Motormen share the division with teams such as Maldon & Tiptree, Walthamstow FC and Heybridge Swifts, meaning that the U’s will know what level to expect going into the match.
Out of their last five matches, they won one, drew one and lost three. As far as their Essex Senior Cup journey is concerned, the London-based side has played the same number of games as the U’s (four) on the way to the final, seeing off Southend United (4-0), Chelmsford City (4-3 win on penalties), Concord Rangers (2-0), and finally Maldon & Tiptree (2-0).
