Essex Derby – Report

Essex bragging rights went to Southend as Colchester’s poor run continued.

The U’s lost their third match on the trot, also failing to score in as many games, as The Blues left the Weston Homes Community Stadium with three points.

A Franck Moussa goal was enough to see the U’s fall to a 1-0 defeat.

In two changes from the U’s last match, Matt Heath replaced the suspended Paul Reid, while Scott Vernon came in for Jamie Guy. Guy was strangely not even on the bench, despite impressing up-front lately.

The U’s started brightly and Mark Yeates’ dangerous free-kick was firmly punched away from danger by Shrimpers goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall.

Shortly later the visitors thought they had taken the lead but Peter Clarke saw his header ruled out for offside, as the 1,800 travelling fans saw their joy cut short.

In a pulsating start to the game, Blues captain Adam Barrett was set to take a throw in but another ball was thrown at him which knocked the other ball from his hands. Barrett, and team-mate Clarke were far from happy, the home fans were quick to show there feelings too.

With nearly quarter of an hour gone, as the U’s defence were caught sleeping, Frenchmen Francis Laurent saw his cross calmly converted by Moussa to put the away side 1-0 up.

A while after the deadlock had been broken the U’s started to have a spell of pressure, Kem Izzet headed straight at Mildenhall, following a good move by the home side.

A minute later Vernon saw his effort deflected just wide, before U’s centre-half Pat Baldwin missed a sitter. Baldwin met Dean Hammond’s flick on from a corner but fired over from close range.

With half-time approaching, Yeates, after some tricky footwork in the area, saw his effort clawed away by Mildenhall.

Early in the second period, as the U’s continued to look for an equaliser, Marc Tierney saw his lofted cross just clear Mildenhall’s cross-bar in an unlikely attempt.

Tierney was once again in the thick of the action, clearing the ball as Moussa made a rare breakaway for the away side.

The U’s made the first change, on sixty-six minutes, with Steven Gillespie, returning to action after a calf injury, taking over from Vernon.

Gillespie saw a header, from David Perkins’ cross, go wide as the U’s struggled to create many clear-cut chances.

After manager Paul Lambert had thrown on Simon Hackney and Lewis Gobern, as the U’s went all out for a goal, Gillespie was ruled offside after firing at the ‘keeper from close range.

The U’s failed to find a goal, in a hugely disappointing day for the club.

They will now be looking to rediscover there goalscoring touch at home to Stockport County on Tuesday night.

U’s: Walker, Maybury, Heath (Hackney 79), Baldwin, Tierney, Perkins (Gobern 86), Hammond, Izzet, Yeates, Vernon (Gillespie 66), Platt.