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Match Preview - U's Vs Hull City
Match Preview - U's Vs Hull City
Friday, 18th Jan 2008 13:04

Greason previews the U's home match against Hull City.

With three new faces at Layer Road, and potentially another one due shortly, there seems to be a wave of new optimism at Layer Road. In the League the U's have picked up four points from two away games against sides in the top five but the squad must now start to pick up points at home. Saturday's visitors Hull City, complete with their ex-United stars will be looking to prevent that.

I am hoping that there will be good reactions to the two former Colchester players upon their return to North Essex. I recognise that Garcia wasn't everyone's cup of tea, and that he was prone to injury, but it mustn't be forgotten that he was an important part of the squad over the last three years or so.

The same goes to Wayne Brown. Indeed, having not missed a minute of last season's Championship action, and having witnessed the U's attempts at defending so far this season, it seems that Brown was potentially more important than Cureton, Iwelumo and Garcia put together. Yes, the manner of his departure wasn't perfect, but clearly there had been a falling out somewhere along the lines and I'm sure, with hindsight, the U's would have done more to keep him at Layer Road than they did.

Hull City are currently in 10th place in the table with three away wins to their credit this season. They've lost six times away from the comfy confines of the KC Stadium with four draws having scored eighteen goals and conceded just two less than that figure.

Hull’s first League away win of the season came at Wolves where Dean Windass' penalty was all the split the two teams while a late goal from defender Michael Turner, five minutes after the sending off of Burnley's David Unsworth, gave them all three points from the trip to Turf Moor. Their last away win came at the end of November when a Windass brace saw them win the Humberside derby against Scunthorpe United by the odd goal in three.

Most recently, their last two league games away from home ended in respectable one all draws at Charlton and Stoke City while they were knocked out of the FA Cup 3-2 at Plymouth Argyle at the first time of asking. Last Saturday, they were beaten 3-1 at home by West Brom who still look the best wide in the Division by a country mile. Hull's goal was scored by Richard Garcia - a replica of his goal for the U's at Crystal Palace last season - and means that the Aussie and childhood friend of U's new recruit Chris Coyne, has racked up five goals so far this season.

So who else have Hull got that the U's need to be aware off? The highest profile signing was that of Jay-Jay Okocha. The former Nigerian World Cup star who was formerly with Bolton Wanderers hasn't figured since the 4-0 drubbing at Southampton in December so I can only presume he is currently out injured. Another former Bolton man, Henrik Pederson also hasn't played since the start of October however, on-loan Manchester United starlet Frazer Campbell has shown good pace and presence of mind to score six times in fifteen games so far this season. Caleb Folan was signed from Wigan Athletic for a million pounds in August but his debut was cut short following a horrific collision which left the former Chesterfield man unconscious. He has been a regular in side since November but has just two goals to his credit so far this season. Leading the way is veteran striker Dean Windass (aged 38) who has eight goals so far this season.

Just a quick word about the goalkeeping situation at Hull as well. Mark Tyler - the goalkeeper who played for Peterborough in the 3rd Round tie at Layer Road recently - looks likely to be signed on loan from Posh as a back up to Boaz Myhill following the news that Michael Duke had an operation to remove a testicular tumour. I'm sure that everyone on this website wishes Duke the best of luck with his recovery.

This is the first time these two sides have met this season, but I'm sure that U's fans, and Chris Iwelumo, won't forget last season's meeting at Layer Road. The U's striker became one of the illustrious few to have scored four goals in a single game - joining the likes of Arthur Turner, Arthur Pritchard, and Bobby Svarc among others - with Jamie Cureton grabbing the other goal. You might also recall that it was actually Hull who opened the scoring via Nicky Forster! It was to prove the end of the road for Phil Parkinson who was dismissed from his job at Hull shortly afterwards and it has to be said that on the night, Hull's defender was absolutely shocking.

Between them, both sides have won ten games each of the twenty-eight that have occurred in League football with the U's having also won the only FA Cup tie between the two sides in January 2005. The first ever meeting between the two sides took place in October 1958 in Division Three and it was the Tigers who left North Essex happy with a 3-1 win. The U's team that day saw Percy Ames in goal, Alf Marshall, John Fowler, Cyril Hammond, Chic Milligan, Ron Hunt, Russell Blake, Sammy McLeod, Kevin McCurley, Ken Plant and U's Hall of Famer Peter Wright.

Graeson's Team

There appears to be little reason to change the side that got the U's an excellent point at Ashton Gate last weekend. This website welcomes Chris Coyne and Phil Ifil to Layer Road and hopes that new Assistant Manager Kit Symons can have as much of an influence as Mick Harford did in his short time at the club.

Therefore, and assuming there are no new injury concerns, I'm sure that Geraint will go with the same starting eleven as at Bristol City. Dean Gerken has recovered from the knock he got that saw him substituted late on so he'll start in goal with Ifil at right-back. John White will probably get the nod at left back with Chris Coyne and Adam Virgo in the central defensive positions.

In midfield, I like the set up of Yeates, Izzet, Guttridge and Jackson though I would ask the latter to move inside for kicks from the keeper just to give us a little bit more height in the central areas. However, Gutts and Izzet are the sort of nuisance midfielders which should break up the opposition midfields rhythm nicely.

Up front, I'm convinced that the best partnership is Platt and Lisbie and the U's will need both of their front men on all cylinders if they are to score the goals to get them out of the relegation places before May.

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Graeson's Prediction

The U's will lift themselves off the bottom of the table with only their third home win of the season. A new-look defence will keep its first clean sheet since August while a goal each for Platt and Lisbie will give the U's fans a lift.

U's to win 2-0!

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Photo: Action Images



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