{ the forum }
 
An independent supporters' website dedicated to Mansfield Town FC

Colchester Saturday home preview

Discuss all things Stags and Football League Two, and share stuff using our BBCodes.
Forum rules
Please read the Posting Rules before participating. Posting on the forums is subject to adhering to these.
Also, see the Guidelines for Posting. Moderators may sometimes tidy posts which do not follow these customs.

Colchester Saturday home preview

Postby Sweden Stag » Thu Dec 01, 2022 12:53 pm

Some sides don’t suit the Stags at all. One such are the side which inflicted a 3-0 League Two defeat last time out at their place. And that side was Harrogate Town a fortnight ago. And just like last season, an away fixture against Harrogate Town is followed by a home time against Colchester United, who themselves lifted off the entire EFL bottom spot by beating Doncaster 3-0 at home. This was only Colchester’s third three-pointer all season so far.

Last season at Colchester, a very controversial penalty deep into added time spoiled the chance for the Stags to start a season with three consecutive victories for the first time since 1974. That converted Colchester spot-kick also started the Stags’ barren run of twelve EFL games without winning.

But at One Call, a more stonewall penalty in added time took the Stags 2-0 up, after being one up thanks to a tremendous run by Rhys Oates leading up to the opener in the first half. After the Stags’ converted penalty, there was time enough for Colchester to reduce the arrears thanks to a superb Colchester free-kick with the last action at One Call in February this year.

But by the time of Colchester’s visit to One Call Stadium during the 2020-1§ season, they did taste their own FA Cup giant-killing medicine when eighth-tier Marine progressed to the second round on penalties after the sides had been dead-locked at 1-1 after normal and extra time. Marine later became the lowest-ranked side to reach the third round and were there rewarded with a bumper home time against PL giants Tottenham.

The game at One Call ended in a 1-1 draw which means that now almost half of the 29 EFL games between the sides at Mansfield have been drawn. And the 2020-21 fixture at Colchester also ended in a draw, but to a 2-2 scoreline after a late Colchester equalizer. Not unexpected with draws as the Stags drew on 19 occasions, while Colchester managed 18 stalemates, eleven of those on the road.

The 2019-20 away fixture at Colchester belonged to the ones not to be played. But in January 2019, the Stags turned around a half-time 0-2 deficit into a 3-2 victory, which was marred by a season-ending injury to Hayden White in added time.

That victory ended a run of five consecutive defeats at Colchester on two different grounds, three of those at Layer Road, a famous FA Cup giant-killing venue of the past which sides like Leeds in 1971 and Huddersfield a few years before Colchester’s first entry into the FL can confirm. Also note that Colchester spent two seasons outside the FL in the early 1990’s following relegation in 1990. But the current Colchester ground has also been a graveyard to top-flight sides, which Tottenham could confirm a few years ago in the League Cup, being kayoed on spot-kicks.

And the first time the sides met in League fixtures, it was as inaugural members of the old third division way back in 1958-59, a season in which Colchester finished 5th and the Stags 20th. Yet the Stags managed the double over Colchester.

The biggest Stags win so far is a home 4-0 (scorers Humble, Wagstaff, Roy Chapman, Morris pen) on January 15, 1962, in the old fourth division. Despite finishing second then, Colchester were often routed on the road. Not only the Stags put four or more against the U’s then, so did also sides like Barrow, Chesterfield and Crewe months later that season, while York and Tranmere even hit Colchester for five then. And none of Colchester’s seven wins at Mansfield has been with a margin of more than two goals. And the highest Colchester win at their old Layer Road home is 3-0, doing so twice, on September 21, 1959 and March 18, 1967, both times in the old third. The following season, over Christmas, did the Stags their latest double over Colchester by 2-1 wins in the space of four days (at home on December 26, 1967 due to goals from Jones and Ledger, four days later a brace from Jones secured the Stags’ first away win), in a run of five consecutive wins lifting the team from a long-occupied bottom position. At the end of that 1967-68 season, Colchester were relegated to the old fourth for the third time in seven seasons after a very poor second half, and the Stags just about stayed up due to the demotion of Peterborough. And the last-ever Stags win at Layer Road was a 3-1 on November 25, 1995 (Stags scorers Boothroyd from the spot, Hadley and the Leeds killer Ireland, Colchester scorer Adcock), equalling the result of the first-ever league meeting at Colchester.

The Stags’ home victory last season was the first one against Colchester (see more above) since November 1, 2002, when the Iyseden Christie show sunk the “U’s” inasmuch as Izzy netted all four goals in the Stags’ 4-2 win. This fixture also was the last Stags one for Scott Sellars, subbed for Mackenzie after only six minutes. At at Colchester, the Stags were, not for the first and not for the last time, very unlucky that 2002-03 season. The proof: Adam Eaton hit the post in the 87th minute, a minute later Scott McGleish (often scoring against the Stags, i.e. doing so for Wycombe in front of the previewer on February 9, 2008), netted the only goal of the game to help Colchester leapfrog the Stags in the relegation zone.

In no league fixture, Colchester have scored more than three goals against the Stags, but hit four in an FA Cup first round replay at Layer Road in the 2004-05 campaign.

Since the 1-0 victory at then relegated Doncaster on the final day of the 1997-98 season and winning the playoff final against Torquay, Colchester spent 16 seasons at third level, and even two campaigns at Championship level a little more than a decade ago, beating sides like Leeds, Derby, Southampton, Sunderland and West Bromwich at home. In the 2006-07 season, Colchester finished tenth, their best-ever, above sides like Ipswich, Burnley, Norwich, Leicester and Crystal Palace.

One player who has played for both sides is Mark Sale. He starred for Colchester at Doncaster on the final day of the 1997-98 season as well as playing in the playoff final against Torquay a few weeks later.

Almost seven years ago, Colchester were just one goal away from becoming the first FL side since 2001-02 (then Stockport on 102 against at second level) to have a ton of league goals put against them. They ended up on 99 put against them (with Jake Kean keeping goal in three games), but had 104 goals against them in their first of now overall six relegation campaigns from the third level, that being in 1960-61. And on three occasions (1961-62, 1965-66 and 1976-77), have Colchester bounced straight back, the final of those being in the Stags’ 1976-77 Third Division Championship campaign.

In the 2020-21 season up to Xmas, Colchester were close to the playoff places, but then endured a wretched run of form with just one win out of twenty-five (but with eleven draws), edging then perilously close to the trap-door. But a late rally with three successive home three-pointers, the second of those crucially against Southend, helped Colchester stay up with a margin of six points to Southend.

Last season, Colchester were near the bottom two places as well but a bit above those dreaded ones on points, eventually finishing in lower mid-table. But last season’s bottom two were sides with recent League One experience, Oldham and Scunthorpe. Note that several sides relegated from League One during the last decade have subsequently slid out of the EFL. And currently, Colchester are only just above the drop zone on better goal-difference than Gillingham, relegated from League One last season. Colchester are also one out of a couple of sides near the EFL bottom having changed their manager. Wayne Brown was axed in September, and current boss is former Wycombe stalwart (as a player) Matt Bloomfield who on the field for the Chairboys often faced the Stags.

Both sides are now out of this season’s FA Cup.

For the record, the clubs’ longest FA Cup runs by the time of the FA Cup games between the sides:

Stags in 1968-69: 1st round Tow Law 4-1 (home, scorers Ledger (2), Keeley, Sharkey); 2nd round Rotherham 2-2 (away, scorers Keeley, Sharkey), 2nd round replay Rotherham 1-0 (home, scorer: Ledger), 3rd round Sheffield United 2-1 (home, scorer Roberts D (2)), 4th round Southend 2-1 (home, scorers Sharkey, Roberts D), 5th round West Ham 3-0 (home, scorers Keeley, Roberts D, Sharkey), QF Leicester 0-1 (home).

Colchester in 1970-71: 1st round Ringmer 3-0 (home, scorer Crawford 3), 2nd round Cambridge U 3-0 home (scorers Jones, Garvey, Gilchrist), 3rd round Barnet 1-0 (away, scorer Mahon), 4th round Rochdale (3-3 away, scorers Crawford 2, Lewis), 4th round replay Rochdale 5-0 (home, scorers Lewis, Simmons, Parry og, Crawford, Mahon), 5th round Leeds 3-2 (home on February 13, 1971, scorer Crawford 2, Simmons, attendance 16000), QF Everton 0-5 (away). Colchester also reached the Quarterfinals during the 2005-06 season.

Played for both sides: Lee Beevers, Barry Conlon, Brian Hall, Ray Harford, Ian Hathaway, Stuart Hicks, William Jeffries, Jake Kean, Dennis Longhorn, Matt Longstaff, Ian McDonald, Jeffrey Monakana, Trevor Morgan, Noel Parkinson, Ian Phillips, Bobby Roberts (also managed Colchester), Mark Sale, Pat Sharkey.

Played for Stags, later managed Colchester: Adrian Boothroyd.

Home stats: P 29, W 8, D 14, L 7, GF 38, GA 33
Away stats: P 28, W 7, D 7, L 14, GF 24, GA 37

Season Home Date Away Date

1958-59 3-2 1959-02-02 3-1 1959-04-04 Div 3 (old)
1959-60 1-3 1959-09-28 0-3 1959-09-21 Div 3 (old)
1961-62 4-0 1962-01-15 0-2 1962-03-23 Div 4 (old)
1963-64 1-1 1963-10-26 1-1 1964-03-07 Div 3 (old)
1964-65 0-1 1964-09-07 1-0 1964-09-14 Div 3 (old)
1966-67 2-0 1966-10-22 0-3 1967-03-18 Div 3 (old)
1967-68 2-1 1967-12-26 2-1 1967-12-30 Div 3 (old)
1972-73 1-1 1973-03-24 1-1 1972-10-28 Div 4 (old)
1973-74 2-2 1973-11-10 0-1 1974-03-22 Div 4 (old)
1975-76 0-0 1976-04-24 2-0 1975-08-23 Div 3 (old)
1978-79 1-1 1978-10-28 0-1 1979-03-09 Div 3 (old)
1979-80 0-1 1979-10-01 1-2 1979-09-18 Div 3 (old)
1981-82 1-3 1981-11-02 1-0 1982-03-16 Div 4 (old)
1982-83 1-1 1983-03-19 0-2 1982-11-05 Div 4 (old)
1983-84 0-0 1983-11-12 0-1 1984-03-10 Div 4 (old)
1984-85 0-1 1984-09-19 1-2 1985-02-26 Div 4 (old)
1985-86 2-1 1985-12-10 0-0 1986-03-14 Div 4 (old)
1993-94 1-1 1994-04-02 0-0 1993-12-27 Div 3
1994-95 2-0 1994-08-20 1-1 1994-12-10 Div 3
1995-96 1-2 1996-04-27 3-1 1995-11-25 Div 3
1996-97 1-1 1996-12-14 1-2 1997-03-14 Div 3
1997-98 1-1 1997-10-04 0-2 1998-02-13 Div 3
2002-03 4-2 2002-11-01 0-1 2003-02-14 Div 2
2016-17 0-0 2016-12-10 0-2 2017-03-14 League Two
2017-18 1-1 2018-03-10 0-2 2017-10-07 League Two
2018-19 1-1 2018-08-18 3-2 2019-01-19 League Two
2019-20 2-3 2019-11-02 not played League Two
2020-21 1-1 2020-11-20 2-2 2021-02-14 League Two
2021-22 2-1 2022-02-08 1-1 2021-08-21 League Two

FA Cup:

2004-05 1-1 2004-11-13 FA Cup 1st round at Field Mill
2004-05 1-4 2004-11-22 FA Cup 1st round replay at Layer Road, Colchester

Come on Mansfield!
Stockholm, July 4, 2008, 15.00 GMT. Good news came, K.H. gone. March 1, 2012. Ground purchased.
Sweden Stag
Assistant Manager
Assistant Manager
 
Posts: 1156
Joined: Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:21 pm
Location: Karlstad, Sweden

Return to Stagsnet Main Discussion Forum

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: garlic, Newhall1, Nutty Stag, Sneag and 140 guests