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Two solid away performances against the two best teams in the division, according to the table anyway, yielded zero goals and zero points. And 1-0 not to the Col U has become a familiar story in 2026 with six defeats by that score-line already. I know people will say you get what you deserve in football but I really think that this season we haven’t got the points that our performances have merited. Ultimately though we’re on a poor run with only Accrington, Barrow and Tranmere achieving less points across the last six matches. Also in the last 12 matches we’ve failed to score in eight of them including our last three which is more than a little concerning. We now face a Walsall side unbeaten in three after sacking Mat Sadler following another disappointing run of results post-Christmas for the second consecutive season.
It was a most welcome return to the starting XI for Iandolo last week, although personally I wouldn’t have risked him against Bromley myself but if we’d won the game it would’ve been worth it and had we gone 1-0 up I truly believe we would have. As far as I know we have no new injury concerns ahead of tomorrow’s match and with a number of players heading out on loan today the squad pretty much names itself and I’m expecting the U’s to line up as follows:
I’ve heard that Chamberlain has now recovered from his injury so I’m expecting he’ll be on the bench but it wouldn’t surprise me if we had seven outfield players on there, as we have done recently. This means no spot on the bench for either Terry, Gape or Back with the latter probably wondered why he bothered joining. I hope Williams gets another chance through the middle tomorrow as I feel Tovide and Goodwin have both had plenty. I also think that Lisbie could probably do with a rest but Danny seems to have lost faith in Edwards. Not sure anyone else on the bench has done enough recently to push for a starting spot.
The players that went out on loan on Friday are as follows:
Oni to Hornchurch Harvey to Salisbury Baldwin to Eastleigh Gordon to Rochdale Connolly to Dagenham
Walsall currently occupy 11th place but are only two points behind seventh after their recent upturn in form. I personally thought Sadler was little unfortunate to lose his job but under Darren Byfield the Saddlers have seven points from nine and are starting to gather momentum at the right time so perhaps the sacking will prove to have been the right decision come May. According to the BBC we actually have a winning record against Walsall with 15 wins to their 14 from 40 meetings which includes wins in the last two.
The current Walsall squad includes Brandon Comley (2017-2020) and Sam Hornby (2022-24), both who were here reasonably recently. No one else really springs to mind so I’ll leave it to you to come up with any more players who have played for both.
The weather at the Jobserve tomorrow is set to be cool with a moderate breeze from the north-west and showers expected. Isn’t it meant to be Spring? We’re on a terrible run and I feel a draw is probably the best we can hope for tomorrow but in true Durham spirit I’m predicting a hard fought 2-1 victory with an opening goal from Payne and late winner from Read.
Nice one RS, and thanks for stepping in. I was thinking of offering, but I reckoned (rightly as it turned out) work was going to be too busy to allow the time. However, I am off next week, so I can pick up Tranmere as well as Oldham if there are no other takers?
Tomorrow will be a first for me, it's my brother-in-law's 70th birthday celebration, and my son Alfie and I will be joining the celebrations, not just in the West Stand for the first time, but in an executive box. Last time I was in an executive box was Salisbury City v Gloucester City nearly 20 years ago. Salisbury City won and ended up promoted - I'm not suggesting that is an omen, but...you know...
Realistically we all know that anything less than eight straight wins means our play-off push is officially dead and buried, and even that might not be enough. BUT, in a suitably upbeat Durhamesque style, with four home games in the next five, and the away game is at car crash Tranmere, we could make it interesting if we pick up 15pts.
Lisbie to score first in a comfortable 2-0 win for the U's!
I said before the MK match that last season the team that finished 7th was Chesterfield on 70pts, so if that is the target then Col U need 17 from the remaining 30 available.
With two 0-1 defeats since then, we are now looking at 17 from 24!
Remaining fixtures were: Wed 18 Mar (A) MK Dons (3) (0) Sat 21 Mar (A) Bromley (0) (0) Sat 28 Mar (H) Walsall (3) Fri 3 Apr (H) Oldham (1) Mon 6 Apr (A) Tranmere (1) Fri 10 Apr (H) Swindon (1) Tue 14 Apr (H) Accrington (0) Sat 18 Apr (A) Harrogate (3) Sat 25 Apr (H) Notts C (3) Sat 2 May (A) Cheltenham (3)
So, we are 3 points behind from the reverse fixtures already played this season, so a win at home to Accrington to reverse that result and the rest can play out as above will do for now. However, there are also opportunities to turn at least a couple of the draws above into wins!
Does that make this Walsall match a must win game then? It looks like it! I think it is for them too, so we could be in for a tasty match!
I'm going for a 2-0 home win with Bishop finally getting a goal that some of his performances have deserved!
Decent open game played in tricky windy conditions . Midfield looked busy, but the cutting edge at the top end again is our downfall. The positive was we scored from a set piece. Fulfilling fixture now part of the season . Seen dog, rain, fog, frozen pitch, team walk off, stop play, but drone is a new one to add to the collection !
Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 20:43 - Mar 28 by bwildered
Decent open game played in tricky windy conditions . Midfield looked busy, but the cutting edge at the top end again is our downfall. The positive was we scored from a set piece. Fulfilling fixture now part of the season . Seen dog, rain, fog, frozen pitch, team walk off, stop play, but drone is a new one to add to the collection !
Onwards and sideways .
[Post edited 28 Mar 20:44]
Think you can add significant civil unrest in the West Stand too to the new list. I missed it, but apparently large numbers of police charging through the concourse post-drone after someone/ something.
Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 23:19 - Mar 28 by wessex_exile
Think you can add significant civil unrest in the West Stand too to the new list. I missed it, but apparently large numbers of police charging through the concourse post-drone after someone/ something.
Six stewards led by their lovely (female) supervisor Sam charged into the West Stand, ran up the stairs and into the Legends Suite. I suspect it was a medical emergency rather than a punch up over prawn sandwiches. They returned to their regular positions within a few minutes.
What was really odd was the unattended, but still vertically fully deployed cherry-picker device parked in Stadium Way post match. Struck me as a good location for a drone operator. I wonder if the TV broadcast features any drone footage (as it often does).
I’ve seen cricket stopped for a drone in Castle Park. Damn nuisance as it kept flying in line of sight of my live streaming cameras and I suspect it was using the same wireless channel given the signal interference that I suffered. Turned out it belonged to one of the opposition and was only grounded after they took the field.
I’ve also seen cricket in Castle Park stopped by a 21 gun salute for her Majesty (RIP). Couldn’t see the pitch for choking gun smoke.
By far the most entertaining aerial stoppage was a huge cloud of Bees flying at human head height which forced the entire Colchester Women’s XI, two batters and two umpires to lie prone on the grass. It was so dense the houses in Catchpool Road were obscured.
There have been infrequent stoppages at both County Ground and Castle Part for an Air Ambulance to land. However, as regular as clockwork we have the annual Royal Birthday Military Flight-Pass, which can be seen at about noon in Castle Park, fifteen minutes later at Chelmsford CC, then progressively moments later at Shenfield CC, Brentwood CC, Hutton CC, Harold Wood CC, Gidea Park CC, and ultimately at Wanstead & Snaresbrook CC. This gets the prize for the most disruptive, and whether home or away I never seem to miss it!
This reminds me, if soon you have nothing to do on a Summer Saturday, all are welcome at Colchester & East Essex CC where admission to ground and Pavilion Bar is free, even to non-members. CEECC are the reigning Premier League champions and are producing a stream of players that are progressing into County Cricket. Essex Second XI and Essex Women are also in Castle Park soon.
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Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 08:13 - Mar 29 with 2329 views
Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 23:19 - Mar 28 by wessex_exile
Think you can add significant civil unrest in the West Stand too to the new list. I missed it, but apparently large numbers of police charging through the concourse post-drone after someone/ something.
Yep, half dozen stewards ran along the South Stand and entered W1 entrance by the disabled section and disappeared into the main stand .What was bizarre was there were stewards nearer but never moved, so must have been extra trained staff response. There was a crowd disturbance in the West /Main W5 stand during the Essex Senior Cup game last week.
What was disappointing was the renewal of chanting against Robbie Cowling from the South Stand who collectively couldn't match his annual financial support. I have seen posts suggesting that we should have funded Lyle Taylor for this season rather than Mbick which obviously came from someone who forgot Taylor's fitness struggles. If they want to chant about anything it should be the EFL for the variable quality of refereeing, although I see that it's as bad in the National League according to Braintree.
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Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 17:56 - Mar 29 with 2238 views
Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 16:50 - Mar 29 by Witham
What was disappointing was the renewal of chanting against Robbie Cowling from the South Stand who collectively couldn't match his annual financial support. I have seen posts suggesting that we should have funded Lyle Taylor for this season rather than Mbick which obviously came from someone who forgot Taylor's fitness struggles. If they want to chant about anything it should be the EFL for the variable quality of refereeing, although I see that it's as bad in the National League according to Braintree.
Unfortunately, that has occurred recently on some of my awaydays too. It usually gets shouted down and/or doesn't get much traction, but sadly some have trouble understanding be careful what you wish for. It wouldn't be happening if we were still realistically in the play-off hunt - as if our injury list and/or the atrocious quality of match officials is entirely down to Robbie FFS.
Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 06:18 - Mar 29 by noah4x4
Six stewards led by their lovely (female) supervisor Sam charged into the West Stand, ran up the stairs and into the Legends Suite. I suspect it was a medical emergency rather than a punch up over prawn sandwiches. They returned to their regular positions within a few minutes.
What was really odd was the unattended, but still vertically fully deployed cherry-picker device parked in Stadium Way post match. Struck me as a good location for a drone operator. I wonder if the TV broadcast features any drone footage (as it often does).
I’ve seen cricket stopped for a drone in Castle Park. Damn nuisance as it kept flying in line of sight of my live streaming cameras and I suspect it was using the same wireless channel given the signal interference that I suffered. Turned out it belonged to one of the opposition and was only grounded after they took the field.
I’ve also seen cricket in Castle Park stopped by a 21 gun salute for her Majesty (RIP). Couldn’t see the pitch for choking gun smoke.
By far the most entertaining aerial stoppage was a huge cloud of Bees flying at human head height which forced the entire Colchester Women’s XI, two batters and two umpires to lie prone on the grass. It was so dense the houses in Catchpool Road were obscured.
There have been infrequent stoppages at both County Ground and Castle Part for an Air Ambulance to land. However, as regular as clockwork we have the annual Royal Birthday Military Flight-Pass, which can be seen at about noon in Castle Park, fifteen minutes later at Chelmsford CC, then progressively moments later at Shenfield CC, Brentwood CC, Hutton CC, Harold Wood CC, Gidea Park CC, and ultimately at Wanstead & Snaresbrook CC. This gets the prize for the most disruptive, and whether home or away I never seem to miss it!
This reminds me, if soon you have nothing to do on a Summer Saturday, all are welcome at Colchester & East Essex CC where admission to ground and Pavilion Bar is free, even to non-members. CEECC are the reigning Premier League champions and are producing a stream of players that are progressing into County Cricket. Essex Second XI and Essex Women are also in Castle Park soon.
Not sure if it stopped play, but before a Essex Sunday OD game at Castle Park , the Para’s were delivering the match ball but one of the guys flew into the trees by the river. Several minutes were waited for the team for the leaders salute to be taken ,in which time the unfortunate skydiver had climbed down the tree and limped to take his position. It was later reported that he had broken his leg . Also had play stopped at Chelmsford during a tourist game, when the crowd had to mass onto the pitch due to a bomb treat taken. Andy Atkinson the groundsman at the time put the covers over the wicket to prevent anyone ruining the pitch .
Best wishes to all at Col & EE in trying to retain the title .
Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 09:34 - Mar 30 by bwildered
Who was the owner of the drone ? Was it just a member of the public using one or a company doing surveillance or survey work . Anyone know ?
No one seems to know, but I doubt there was any intent at sabotage. Probably someone flying recreationally, saw a game was on and went in for a closer look.
I now have an explanation for the stewards charging into the West Stand….
After Half Time, it appears that a number of guests of a sponsor that were disinterested in the football stayed drinking in the Lounge. A drunk then had a go at them for “not getting behind the team”. It turned nasty and the drunk was ejected from the premises under a police escort. The incident was over within minutes. It was minor aggressive behaviour.
By contrast, the brawl during the Essex Senior Cup Final was more worrying. A female steward was thrown down the dangerous steep stairs.
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Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 12:29 - Apr 1 with 1854 views
Saddlers Unseated On Deteriorating Ground on 17:27 - Mar 31 by noah4x4
I now have an explanation for the stewards charging into the West Stand….
After Half Time, it appears that a number of guests of a sponsor that were disinterested in the football stayed drinking in the Lounge. A drunk then had a go at them for “not getting behind the team”. It turned nasty and the drunk was ejected from the premises under a police escort. The incident was over within minutes. It was minor aggressive behaviour.
By contrast, the brawl during the Essex Senior Cup Final was more worrying. A female steward was thrown down the dangerous steep stairs.
That does sound a bit more like what I heard at the time.
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