Colchester Community Stadium, home of Colchester United based in Essex and compete in League 2. Better known as Col U for short. Away days are back with Mansfield Town!!! The first one of the season and it would be rude not to! Me and the Super Stag are on our way!!
It’s a long journey for a midweek game but I don’t really care, away days are back!! 3 hours on the away coach later and here we are at the Dog & Pheasant bar just down the road from the ground. Funnily enough one of Mansfield’s main bars is called the “Stag & Pheasant” Coincidence?
Great to finally meet Kieran here tonight, who I shared a few football quizzes with along with the Merry Miller last summer!! Never had a drink and a meal in a car park before… A couple of predictions and football stories later and it’s time for the game! £20 to get into this League 2 tie! Alrighty then!
“Since I was young! I followed them! ColUFC! The team for me!” Kieran mentioned before the game that a large number of Colchester fans would be boycotting in protest of the chairman, but the ones in attendance tonight are giving it a good go so far!!
Kick Off! “Yellows!!” Mansfield fans have arrived!! 8 minutes in and Mansfield come forward, Ollie Clarke receives the ball at around 20 yards out, he makes space and shoots… Keeper parries and here comes Danny Johnson… Keeper saves again and it’s a corner for Mansfield, in it comes… Cleared by Colchester.
17th minute and Mansfield have possession, they knock it about brilliantly and now play it to the left for Stephen McLaughlin, he drives forward and plays a deep cross into the box towards Danny Johnson with the header… Brilliant save by Shamal George in the Colchester goal!! Corner for Mansfield, played in… Cleared.
22 minutes now and Colchester win a free kick on the left hand side in a crossing position, it’s whipped in… Keeper comes… And collects it! Mansfield started the better but Colchester are starting to come into the game a lot more now but no real chances at the moment.
39 minutes on the clock and Colchester come forward down the right, it’s crossed in low and here’s Frank Nouble… Over! “COLU TILL I DIE! I KNOW I AM IM SURE I AM IM COLU TILL I DIE!” Colchester fans still banging the drum and making noise here!
44th minute and Colchester work it forward again, it’s played out to Luke Hannant on the right hand side, he cuts inside on the edge of the box and he goes for goal… Straight at the keeper! “ALLEZ ALLEZ ALLEZ!” Colchester fans keep going but at half time the score remains goalless.
Second half, good start to the half by Mansfield! 2 minutes in and they work it forward and it’s through to Danny Johnson! Big chance! He’s hit it straight at the keeper… It’s still in and the Colchester defender beats him to it and he’s brought down and it’s a free kick for Colchester, Johnson should have scored there!
49th minute now and Mansfield come forward again, they work it forward to Dan Johnson in the box again… The Colchester man gets a touch on to it just in time but here’s Rhys Oates to run on to it in the six yard box… He turns and shoots wide.
58 minutes on the clock and Mansfield break forward and win a free kick around 30 yards out, Stephen McLaughlin steps up… He tries to curl it around the wall but doesn’t curl it enough and Colchester win the loose ball and clear.
72 minutes now and Mansfield come again, it’s played out to the left, it’s crossed in, here’s Elliott Hewitt with the header… YES!!! He finds the bottom corner!!! 0-1!! Fantastic!! “We love you Mansfield we do!! OOOOHHHH Mansfield we love you!!” That’s better!
“Nigel Clough’s barmy army!” But we only sing when we’re winning according to Colchester fans… 80th minute and here come Colchester now, the ball comes to Sylvester Jasper, he makes space for the shot… It’s over.
Colchester now pushing for the equaliser, it’s nerve racking for me and the travelling Mansfield faithful here tonight… Can Mansfield hold on here? 5 minutes of stoppage time to be played. Into around the third minute of stoppage time and Colchester play a long ball into the box on the right, it’s headed down towards Frank Nouble… He goes down… It’s a Penalty… Stephen McLaughlin brings him down and I have to agree with the Referee there! Silly challenge!
It’s Freddie Sears for Colchester… Nathan Bishop gets a hand to it… But it’s too hot to handle and Colchester have surely snatched a point here! 1-1!
Play continues but nothing else to report and the score remains at 1 a piece. A bit of S***housery from Shamal George at the final whistle doing a crying motion with his hands towards us in the away end… Away days! As we leave, me and the Super Stag get some post-match thoughts with Kieran once again as we bump into him, we aren’t too down hearted but that’s football, we should have scored those chances at the start of the second half!!
FT: Colchester United 1-1 Mansfield Town
Ratings
- Atmosphere: 6/10 – The Colchester fans in attendance tonight have a good account of themselves!! Kept going all game and the Mansfield fans had a good go themselves! Imagine what a full house here would be like!?
- The Ground: 8/10 – I really like this ground! It’s clean and has plenty of character! A potential Championship level ground I’d say!
- Expense: 7/10 – £20 is ok for this level and it was an ok game overall.
- Overall Experience: 7.5/10 – Great to meet Kieran tonight! A future FANA Fan Podcast guest perhaps! Great to be back with away days for sure despite conceding in stoppage time, a good day all in all!
28.5/40