MFC 0 -1 Colchester Utd, Globe Arena, Saturday 20 October 2018, League 2, 3pm

Att 1839 with 136 from Colchester.

Shrimps, 4-4-2 -Roche Mills Yarney Lavelle Conlan Wildig Cranston Ellison Mandeville Leitch-Smith Oliver, no subs used.

The U’s – 3-5-2- Gilmartin Eastman Prosser c Kent Jackson Pell Lapslie Vincent-Young Senior Nouble Norris, subs used Collins for Senior 71,  Dickinson for Vincent-Young 76, Comely for Lasplie 87.

Yellows – Shrimps Cranston 52, Ellison 86. Colchester Pell 61, Dickinson 80.

Ref – Andy Haines, again did pretty well, although the traditional handball wasn’t given, he was in a bad position, as was his liner, you can bet they will see it if we do it as blatantly!!

Pitch – Superb and lush, nice weather too.

It seemed like all hands to the pump for this game as the starting XI virtually picked itself  with the only available players fit, still able to run and kick, as 7 professionals were in the treatment room. Jordan Cranston was deployed in an unfamiliar midfield role alongside Wildig and Kev came back after injury to replace the missing Oates. Colchester dominated the opening moments, forcing corners as the raiding Jackson was finding space on their right. It took a while for the Shrimps to gain a foothold, but the visitors made use of the width and continued to test a resolute home defence. The corners were repelled, no easy feat as Eastman and Pell towered over Rochey, with relative ease. Colchester moved the ball swiftly and were easy on the eye.

Both sides final ball were wasteful as defences continued to gain the upper hand, however the ball was finding its way more persistently in the Shrimps box than the other end. And so it continued, both teams huffing and puffing with only long throws and corners for reward. It looked as though it would be a stalemate and regroup at half time but the dangerous Jackson found Senior, who exchanged with Pell, his flick on evaded all but the sprinting Senior who struck home from the angle across Baz. So half time 0-1.

The second half  saw the Shrimps take control almost from the first whistle, and as a result saw some international standard time wasting from the visitors. The point has been made that we have been guilty of this ourselves, however not for an entire 11 men for one half. I agree that Baz has his gold award for such things, well done him, but this lot were truly epic. If Italy and the south americans do injured innocence well, then Colchester have been reading the manual. The dark arts of shirt pulling, late nudges after the ball has gone, jumping at the man not the ball when heading alongside some fantastic time wasting saw them disrupt the flow of the game beautifully. Pell went down after one raid, for a full 90 seconds, followed by Lapslie twice when he was accidentally caught in the cods (Which admittedly did look painful). Lapslie took another 90 seconds to refuse treatment, then two minutes later promptly fell to the ground, (Mysteriously as we were again on the offensive) and wasted another 90 before being ushered for the magic sponge.

In between bouts of this, some glorious football from us, with wave after wave of brilliant last ditch defending from them, prevented anything getting on target. Ajay supplied a cross for Big V to smash against the bar with his head, and freed up Kev who chipped the advancing keeper and also the bar. Cranston had a drive from  miles out a foot too high and a decent shout for penalty waved away when a stray pair of hands seem to stop the goal bound piledriver. Much like too many home games, it fell kindly for the defenders too many times, and despite a valiant, glorious second half battering, the visitors held on. Yet another side celebrating a cup final victory at the last whistle, as they had dug deep, rode their luck and survived. Joining Exeter, Oldham, Swindon and Tranmere in congratulations us on what a good game we played, but thanks for the points!!

The 4th official had added 5 minutes, with three subs brought on, which was in insult frankly. If Colchester had continued to play as they did in the first half I wouldn’t have any issues, they are a good side with a good balance of youth and experience, but they didn’t. Sour grapes? Maybe, but something has to be done to stop sides killing the game as a spectacle with a third of it still to play? Or am I dreaming?

There were many candidates for MOM, Zak Mills being voted, but you could make a case for Mandy, Ajay, Sam, Joe Y, Luke C, Wildig and even in the second half Jordan and Big V.

On another day, sometime in the future, hopefully not to distant, we will get a penalty for handball, you know, like we see given to most sides week in week out on the Quest highlights, but until then, we must take our chances, as we look like conceding most games, but also look like scoring. So its certainly exciting, however this lack of goals is costing us dearly.

With most of the starting  XI hopefully refreshed for Tuesday against Mansfield we go again. More of the same but with half a dozen goals would be good?

Free