Make no mistake if Colchester weren’t in a relegation dogfight on Friday, they are after Saturday’s result. Let us be clear, Walsall is a poor team who hadn’t managed a win in 16 games. But Colchester is currently on a wretched run, not helped by some inept performances and some players who are not interested in pulling on the shirt.

The days of taking over 600 supporters to Leyton Orient are long gone. Only the most diehard supporters (about 50) were at the Bescot on Saturday to watch another defeat to inferior opposition.

I have to say that I had been feeling optimistic for much of the week about the game and having persuaded my eldest son to travel with me only increased my belief in a U’s win.

We arrived at the ground via a soggy M6 but with postponements being announced almost by the minute, we were relieved that the Bescot had passed a pitch inspection. In truth the wing where the faithful were congregating, the Sign Specialists Stand and the Bank’s Stand (behind the goal) were most badly affected by the soggy conditions. The corner flag area and goalmouth were very muddy but there was no standing water.

The players were being put their paces by an animated Mark Kinsella assisted by Dave Carolan. Now this season the faithful occupied the area from the corner flag to just before the half way line, last season we were behind the goal.

Attendance crept up to 3,006, but the atmosphere was very poor, the faithful sang “your ground’s too big for you and there here, there there, there every ******* where, empty seats”. It was a little bright interlude to break up the gloom.

JD had lined up 4-4-2

Cousins

White Thompson Eastman Rose

Wilson Izzet Woody Sears

Morrison Ibehre

I must admit that listening to the team over the tannoy from the Walsall announcer who was so miserable he wouldn’t have been out of place playing Ebenezer Scrooge at the Birmingham Empire; I thought that we might have been lining up 5-3-2. But Brian Wilson played right side midfield in an advanced position.

Now my last Colchester game had been the defeat to Crewe where we bossed the first half and then collapsed badly in the second. This time, we struggled from the outset (a team short on confidence) and allowed a poor Walsall team to enjoy possession and plenty of corners. Fortunately they were wasteful with both.

Jabo Ibehre was unlucky not to give the U’s the lead when his clever chip hit the bar and bounced to safety.

Now despite the encouragement from the small but vocal faithful, certain Colchester players seemed to be already thinking about the Turkey dinner and mince pies.

Rose had a nightmare first half. Out of position, beaten convincingly by Febian Brandy the livewire ex Man Utd player, Woody looked as though he was already playing for Leicester City in the championship because he failed to show any urgency or commitment.

The defence despite conceding plenty of corners held firm and Thompson and Eastman were strong and solid in the centre of the defence. Izzet was tigerish in the tackle and Ibehre was lively up front.

Half time arrived and perhaps a point would have been welcomed by JD at this stage.

The Pukka pie, a steak and Kidney one and white coffee were very good and warming as the weather closed in and rain began to drive across the pitch.

Now JD made a telling substitution at half time, the ineffectual, hopeless and out of position Rose was replaced by young Drew Wright. Brian Wilson dropped to Right Back and Johnny White moved to left back. The youngster ran at defenders and scared the living daylights out of them; he must be well worth a start in the side. Unfortunately he faded as defenders started to mark him with often three around him.

Immediately we were on the front foot and Walsall were hanging on as we enjoyed good possession and opportunities. Unfortunately on 60 minutes the game changed for the worse. Jabo Ibehre was in possession and was racing down the wing just in front of the faithful when he fell to the ground clutching his left side. The ball was lost but the referee Mr Madley who didn’t have a bad game didn’t immediately stop the game. When he did there was a bizarre altercation between a Colchester supporter and Clinton Morrison over the injury to Jabo Ibehre. Morrison came over to the touchline and remonstrated with the guy who seemed to be critical of Ibehre for going down.

The faithful gave a rendition of “Clinton Morrison”, hands were shaken by means of reparation and the game continued once the unfortunate Ibehre had left the field. He was replaced by Ian Henderson who gave his very worst performance for the U’s that I have ever seen. His first three touches were all disasters; the first was a dummy from a throw in after 1 minute of his arrival which gave possession to Walsall and a long pass found the livewire Brandy who was able to bear down on goal before wrong footing Cousins to score with a diagonal shot into the corner.

Henderson then tried an overhead kick from 25 yards which not even Marco Van Basten would have attempted and his third led to the breakdown of a promising position for the U’s. He looked sulky and miserable, perhaps annoyed that he didn’t start the game, but frankly he wasn’t good enough on saturday.

The tiring Sears was substituted by the forgotten man John Joe O’Toole who put some bite into the midfield on 72 minutes.

Walsall looked increasingly as though they would try to settle for 1-0 and put additional defenders on even playing Florent Cuvelier out of position on the left side.

Colchester sensed the possibility of an equaliser and started to play more players in advanced positions. The excellent Josh Thompson was very unlucky to see his header strike the cross bar.

Woody hit a long distance effort which grazed the bar and John Joe O’Toole was unlucky to see his effort blocked.

Mr Madley only added 4 minutes for some outrageous time wasting by Grof and Purkiss and the U’s slithered to another 1-0 defeat. 8 defeats in the last 9 games tells its own story. We have never recovered from the debacle at Chelmsford.

Perhaps most telling of all was the reaction from the players at the end of the game. MK urged them over to the faithful but only Henderson failed to put in an appearance he skulked off. He owes both the faithful and his teammates an apology for his appalling play and lack of interest in 3 minutes of so called action.

I was heartened to learn after the game that the U’s have signed Jack Compton and Josh Thompson and perhaps Jabo Ibehre (hope he is not too badly injured).

We also need another striker, but it is difficult to know where we can poach one from.

The U’s have some difficult games over the festive period but despite the gloom at present I am confident that we can get out of this mire, but we must start to win some games. What price a home win against the Bees and perhaps the double over the Robins?

Time to welcome Santa I think!

Up the U’s

Photo: Action Images via Reuters