United line-up: Barrett, Matt Joseph, Granville, Preece, Craddock, Raynor, Hayes, Hyde, Kyd (Richards 84), Barnwell, Beall.
Subs not used: Thompson, Ashbee
Booked: Barnwell (dissent)

Terry Wilby's match report:
So now we have lost 4 points in 2 minutes by conceding late goals. We really must try to play for 95 minutes.

Using Mark Johnsons book and David as navigator (thanks David) we got to the ground about 7:25 after leaving Cambridge at 6:00 and going by the A14/A12 route. The return journey on the A604 took about the same time. There seemed to be a convoy of cars from Colchester to Cambridge, I wonder why!

The team was as normal, except for Ashbee replacing Wanless on the subs. bench with Richards and Thompson. I thought it was a good game, we played a lot of good passing football with Preece, Hyde, Beall and Raynor. Raynor seemed to come into the middle a little more which increased the passing options. Man of the Match was Matt Joseph who played superbly as a sweeper. In the second half in particular he made three good tackles when it looked like the forward would get a good scoring chance.

We took the lead in the first half, Billy Beall lobbed the keeper from the edge of the penalty area after indecision by a defender and keeper. Our best chance came earlier when Kyd scuffed his shot after being put through and the keeper saved easily.

In the second half Hayes was injured when a Colchester player lunged at him while trying to get the ball for a free kick, which the referee did not see. He required treatment but was not 100% for the rest of the match. Colchester's first equaliser came when the winger got in a cross past Hayes which was headed in by John Taylor between 2 defenders.

We soon took the lead again when a Raynor 30 yard shot was fumbled into the net. Even I would have saved it! We looked strong and it seemed 3 points were in the bag. Richards came on for the last 15 minutes for Kyd(?). Barrett and Raynor had a good shout at Hayes when he buggered about with the ball in our penalty area when he could have cleared.

In the last minute they got a free kick just outside the corner of the penalty area. The low curling kick was about to be grabbed easily by Barrett until Raynor tried to kick the ball out of his hands and succeeded in setting up the Colchester forward for the equaliser. It was a bad goal to concede which looked even worse on Anglia Kick-off.

Anglia said that we scored against the run of play, BBC said Colchester were lucky to get a draw. In conclusion I guess a draw was a fair result as both sides made chances, and both could have won by a 2 or 3 goal margin. As usual we need someone at the front to hold the ball, Taylor would do. Our forwards could do worse than watch the game and learn from him.

It was their league biggest crowd of the season, I don't know how many U's fans went, but we made a lot of noise.

Ratings:

Barrett   7
Joseph    8
Granville 7
Preece    7
Craddock  6
Raynor    7
Hayes     6
Hyde      7
Kyd       6
Barnwell  6
Beall     7

Sub:
Richards  5

Merry Christmas to you all, see you at the Abbey on Boxing Day.

Terry Wilby.

Ben Mynott's match report:
Well, better late than never; with a hectic 10 days over the festive period back home I didn't find time to write a report. As it all happened 11 days ago I'm struggling to think of too many details!

In my opinion had it not been for two players, ie Matt Joseph and Scott Barrett, (well OK, three since a certain Carl Emberson was more than a bit of a help) we'd have been well and truly thrashed. We played the more football without doubt, but it never got us anywhere; it was just endless to-ing and fro-ing in midfield. Very few chances were created indeed. On the other hand Colchester didn't bother with neat little triangles, they just aimed for their two big reliable targets Taylor and Whitton - with a lot of success. Colchester must have had five times as many chances as Cambridge, but a combination of woeful finishing, superb last-minute tackling from Joseph and excellent reflext saves from Barrett, the game would have been well and truly wrapped up before the 92nd minute.

As most of you probably now know, the Cambridge goals were more than a little bizarre. The first came from an inoccuous cross from Kyd in a fairly central position. At first it seemed to be the keeper's ball, but as it hung in the air a combination of the curl and the gusting wind blew it back out towards the edge of the area with Emberson hopelessly flapping and a defender equally flummoxed. Billy Beall, however, simply lobbed the ball into the empty net after the first bounce, keeping his nerve while the goalie was losing his.

Colchester's first was a quick break down the right that found the defensive cover somewhat lacking. A good cross came in and there was only the dwarf-like figure of Matt Joseph standing in Shaggy's way for a clear goal. No prizes for guessing who won the aerial challenge; Taylor's header was both powerful and well-placed leaving Barrett no chance.

If Cambridge's first was bizarre, the second was its equal. A speculative 30 yard effort from Raynor went straight at the keeper, only for him to drop it into his own net!

This is where Cambridge should have tried to keep possession, and perhaps they did try, but they failed. Kyd had tried and tried all game, but was always going to come off second best to a big central defender, while Jamie B struggled to win any possession. Just when the team needs a good example set from the captain, Micah Hyde finishes the match as he started - he might just as well not have done as he never got into the game and the few touches he did have inevitably resulted in loss of possession.

With two minutes of injury time played (no qualms about the amount - Cambridge had time-wasted earlier) a slightly questionable free kick was awarded 40 yards out on the right. As the inswinging cross came over towards the near post, Barrett and four Cambridge players were all closer to the ball than any Colchester player. Barrett came to claim it but didn't call for it - very poor keeping - so Raynor tried his best to clear. He miscued somewhat, slicing the ball straight to a blue shirt and with Barrett committed to the cross he had a simple task of slotting into the empty net.

Apparently Steve Whitton and the Colchester board were full of praise for Cambridge, saying they played better football than anyone else to visit Layer Road this season and they all thought promotion was on the cards. If that was the case, either they watched an entirely different game or they have very low standards! Whitton praised Preece in particular, saying he ran the show and forced him into a tactical switch.

Man of the match is easy - Matt Joseph by a mile.

Ratings:

Barrett     7   Some superb saves but then throws two points away at the 
                death.
Joseph      9.5 Playing as sweeper he was superb.  Couldn't fault him for 
                effort or skill.  I lost count of the number of crucial 
                interceptions and tackles he made.
Hayes       6   Had a good opening 20 minutes but faded.
Raynor      6   Good goal - er, ok, maybe not.  Industrious display on the 
                right.
Granville   4   Absent for the first goal.  Distribution was diabolical.
Craddock    4   As Granville.
Beall       5.5 Fairly quiet, but took his goal well and rarely made 
                mistakes.
Preece      7   Did stand out in the Cambridge midfield.  Possibly the most 
                involved he's been in a Cambridge shirt.
Hyde        2   To say he was off form would be more than a slight 
                understatement.  Struggled to get into the game, and when 
                he did all he could do was make mistakes.  How and why 
                MacFarland let him play the whole 90 minutes is beyond me.
Kyd        6    Worked tirelessly and showed good control, but rarely kept 
                possession.  Not his fault - support was distinctly lacking.
Barnwell   4.5  Needs "resting" I think!

Subs:
Richards came on I think for Kyd, but made little impression.  The defence 
could have done with Thommo's influence late on, but MacFarland in his 
ultimate wisdom thought otherwise.

Ben.

With grateful thanks to Terry Wilby and Ben Mynott for their match reports.

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