Another Saturday, another home defeat as a Walsall scored once in each half to take all three points.

Colchester United's wretched season continued this afternoon with yet another home defeat at the hands of Walsall. The Saddlers made the most of their few chances with a goal in each half and though Lambert believed the U's bossed possession, they rarely threatened Clayton Ince in the visitor’s goals. Lambert's post-match interview with BBC Essex was as uninspiring as the game itself whilst a muddled team selection surely couldn't not have helped the cause.
Following the arrival of Crystal Palace left-back Lee Hills on a month's loan, and the return of Captain Dean Hammond from suspension, it was expected that there would be a few changes in the starting line-up. Both players did indeed start with Kem Izzet (shoulder injury) and Anthony Wordsworth (substitute) missing out.
What we didn't expect to see was the U's line up with just one recognised central defender on the pitch in Pat Baldwin. He was partnered by the versatile John White at the heart of the defence with Phil Ifil at right back. Matt Heath made the bench, but Chris Coyne was able to leave for the airport in order to represent his country earlier than planned.
The decision to include White at the heart of the defence in place of either Coyne or Heath seemed to be particularly odd. The Gt Totham youngster is a versatile player having had games at both full back positions and, in his early days, in central midfield as a man-marker. I believe he has played just once at the heart of the U's defence before today - so just why did he get the job today? Lambert's post match interview suggested it was because Ifil had done so well for him in a previous game...at left back against Bournemouth. So why switch one of your most consistent players to a new position just to include a player who had played well a few weeks back. It certainly left me tugging at what few hairs remain on my scalp.
To the rest of the team then. Jackson moved to the left-hand side of midfield with the arrival of Hills with Yeates, Perkins and Hammond alongside him. United's front two saw former Saddler Clive Platt partnered alongside the all-too similar Sam Williams who is on loan from Aston Villa.
United started brightly enough with Platt heading a Lee Hills cross wide of Ince's goal but they went behind after Walsall first serious attempt on 16 minutes. A long ball over to the U's left hand side saw Hills and Deeney go for the ball and despite the home man getting to it first; it rebounded off the Saddlers man towards the corner flag. He was alert and bright enough to get to the ball first and ball the back behind the U's defenders where Dwayne Mattis stretched out a leg and side-footed past Mark Cousins. It was the 5th time this season that the U's have conceded the opening goal at home and given that, Carlisle apart, they had scored just three times at the WCHS, and everyone knew that they had a battle on their hands.
A mazy run from Lee Hills saw his cross again being headed behind by Platt before a sweet move followed after Jackson had taken charge of a loose ball in the midfield. He involved the energetic David Perkins who in turn picked out Williams inside the box to chest the ball down in to the path of Jackson who had continued his run. Sadly, the former Spurs midfielder found the seats behind the goal rather than the Walsall net.
When Yeates hammered the ball down the channel in to space there were groans from the U's fans but Platt did really well in chasing the ball to the corner where he won possession and picked out Hammond inside the Walsall box - the U's skipper side-footing horribly wide when decently placed.
Ince was then tested by Yeates' long range free-kick which the Saddlers man could only palm back in to the penalty area where it was gratefully cleared by the visitors. A defensive mix-up between Baldwin and loanee Hills almost gifted Deeney an opportunity on the edge of the U's box which eventually saw the shot deflected behind for a corner.
Ifil's long ball forward also looked to be poor but it dropped between Anthony Gerrard and the onrushing keeper where Platt had gambled. Sadly, his first touch left him with too much to do from a narrow angle and he hit the side-netting with the goal unattended.
Platt was also involved as he nodded John White's ball forward to Jackson inside the box. The U's midfielder had to turn and volley the ball in the same move and fortunately for Walsall, Ince was in the right place to make the save.
Neither side made changes at halftime with Lambert hopefully having raised the tempo of his side's first half performance which had lacked energy. However, the second half was a laborious affair when, quite frankly, the U's never looked like opening up a resolute visitors defence.
The highlight of the half was achieved by John White. First, he struck a terrific 40 yard drive that Ince did well to pluck out of the air (indeed, the U's defender had hit the ball too well and even the slightest amount of curl on the ball would have caused the keeper problems) before he became the first U's player to smack a ball clean out of the ground over one of the Stands. It got the biggest cheer of the afternoon from the ever-dwindling home crowd.
The visitors doubled their lead just after the hour mark and pretty much everyone in the crowd knew it was game over. Frustratingly, the goal could and should have been prevented. Initially, Phil Ifil misjudged a long ball forward that eventually brought a corner for the visitors. From the set-piece, the ball was floated to the back stick where Cousins mis-judged it and got caught underneath it. Former England striker Michael Rickett's was on hand to head the ball home.
Yeates, at his frustrating worse this afternoon with little in the way of good things coming from either boot, tricked his way in to the box only to shoot straight at Ince from the angle while Wordsworth's volley from the edge of the box took a deflection for a corner. Wordsworth and Wasiu replacing Jackson and Ifil though in truth it could have been any of the outfield players. Indeed, it only remained for Wasiu to drag a shot across the goal to end another dismal home performance from the U's.
Worryingly, United have now slipped back to the dire performances under Lambert though I can't help but be concerned over the team selection. Quite what Heath and Coyne must have thought when White was selected ahead of them is any one's guess - but I don't really remember Heath making too many mistakes in the home defeat by Leyton Orient last week? In the last four games the U's have conceded just four goals - and three of them were at Southend - so why the need to make three defensive changes ahead of this game. The back four needs to be consistent and playing together regularly - and you can't tinker with a League One side a la Rafa Benitez or an Arsene Wenger.
The midfield looked desperately short of ideas when going forward. We look okay until we get thirty yards from goal and I'm afraid that's down to another error from the manager in his team selection. Clive Platt and Sam Williams simply does not work together. There is no pace from the front two - not their fault of course - but both appear to prefer working with their back to goal. Neither of the front two is really prepared to run off the last defender, or look to get into channels down the wings and that gives the midfield quartet little option when playing the ball forward and makes them incredibly easy to defend against. Sides hate playing against pace and we just don't have any.
I would also question why, when two down with nothing to do but go for it, that the U's only used two of their allotted three substitutes and left Scott Vernon kicking his heels on the bench.
All this means that the U's were simply easy to beat. It might have been that had the U's scored the first goal and forced Walsall to come out of their shell that the game would have been more enjoyable but the visitors played the perfect away game. Get a goal, shut up shop, defend in numbers and hope to grab a second from a set play. It was all far too easy.

Shot of the Match: John White's 40 yard pile-driver needed to be saved by Ince.
Save of the Match: And plucking White's shot from out of the air was the most difficult thing he did all afternoon.
Moan of the Match: I think I've expressed my views on that in the report.
Man of the Match: I was tempted to give my award to Wasiu who at least injected some life in to the all-too predictable proceedings, but I'm going to go with CLIVE PLATT who worked hard with little reward - if the U's did get anything going you can be sure the U's target man was involved.

Colchester: Cousins, Ifil (Wasiu 66), Baldwin, White, Hills, Yeates, Perkins, Dean Hammond, Jackson (Wordsworth 66), Platt, Williams.
Subs Not Used: Gerken, Heath, Vernon.

Walsall: Ince, Weston (Boertien 90), Roberts, Gerrard, Palmer, Taundry, Hughes (Reich 79), Mattis, Nicholls, Ricketts, Deeney (Zaaboub 69).
Subs Not Used: Bradley, Gilmartin.

Goals: Mattis 16, Ricketts 62.

Att: 4,071

Ref: Phil Crossley (Kent).

Photo: Action Images

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