FA Cup 1st Round: Colchester United 1-0 Worcester City
Colchester United vs Worcester City @ Colchester Community Stadium
FA Cup – First Round (Tier 4 vs Tier 7)
15:00 KO
£17 entry
Attendance – 3,004 (647 away fans)
Half-time score: Colchester United 1-0 Worcester City
Goal:
Colchester United: Jaden Williams – 32’
Final Score: Colchester United 1-0 Worcester City
After a bright start to the season, with 7 points from the first 3 games, they have gone on a horrendous run of form and have not won a single game of football in any competition since, and as such currently occupy one of the two dreaded relegation spots. The team do not appear to be playing too badly, but desperately lack any goalscorers. I was hoping that today, in the FA Cup 1st Round, could be a great opportunity to break this trend to secure a confidence boosting win, and hopefully an exciting 2nd Round FA Cup tie. However, standing in their way were the visitors Worcester City, who play in the same division as Bury Town in the 7th Tier, and it is fair to see that they would be giving their all for a cup upset, following their incredible win last round against higher level Chroley with Luke Rowe scoring a spectacular late winner deep in the replay!
It was another pleasantly mild autumn afternoon, and the pitch looked immaculate. Whilst there were noticeably fewer Col U fans than usual, the magic of the FA Cup was clearly alive for the visitors, with 5 coach-loads of fans making the most noise I've seen in the fan zone, and a good atmosphere in the stadium, absolute credit to them and their club. Before long the teams were lining up, following a minute to remember the fallen, with Col U in their white and blue stripes, with Worcester City in their away green kits, also usually playing in blue and white stripes.
Highlights can be found on YouTube, see the following link:
KEY MOMENTS
CU = Colchester United
WO = Worcester City
17’ - CU - Col U go route one, a booming kick up field from Lo-Tutala, Sesay battles and wins the ball, he darts into the box, swivels back to send the defender the wrong way before powering in a strike, but he drills it wide of the near-post.
23' - CU - Payne curls in a dangerous corner ball, a glancing header comes in from Jay Williams but the ball flashes wide.
30' - CU - Digby breaks along the right, he tries to switch the ball to the left, the ball is intercepted but right into the path of Thorn, he drives into the box and shoots, but the Worcester keeper Dzialuk makes the stop.
32' - CU - GOAL (1-0) - Sesay with the ball in the middle, he passes to Thorn on the right, with his first touch he drills the ball into the box, Payne fires in, it is blocked but Jaden Williams is fastest to react to the loose ball, he takes a touch before smashing it into the net, and the hosts go a goal up to calm their nerves.
39' - CU - Jaden Williams with a probing run into the box from the left-flank, he cuts back but the Worcester defender clumsily takes him out, but the referee gives nothing, poor decision.
47' - CU - Sesay sprints down the left and cuts inside, seeing Jaden Williams coming in he squares it across, but Jaden's close-range side-footed first time effort is palmed away by Dzialuk.
51' - CU - A brilliant turn from Jaden Williams sees him burst through the two centre-backs, he races forward and slips Sesay through, he tries to round Dzialuk but the keeper takes the ball and the man, close but not a penalty for me that one.
55' - CU - Col U pressurising the box, Jaden Williams lashes in an effort from outside the box and it is blocked by the hand of a Worcester defender, but yet again nothing is given, Col U getting no luck this afternoon.
57' - WO - Worcester with their best chance thus far, their biggest weapon the long throw-ins, one is flicked on and drops to Hayward, his diving header directed just wide of the post.
59' - WO - Lockett is through down the left, he squares in to find Guinan in the middle of the box but his first time effort is badly spooned wide, big let-off for The U's.
65' - CU - Vincent-Young on the right, he decides to cut towards the box and hits a clean, crisp strike from the edge of the box, it has Dzialuk beaten and I think it is in, but it is the wrong side of the post and is collected by the side-netting.
67' - CU - Jaden Williams on the left flank, a cute ball is dinked into the box, Thorn meets it with a looping header over Dzialuk but it crashes into the crossbar, it drops back for him but his guided side-footed effort is saved by the keeper, so close to making this a comfortable 2-0, unlucky.
83' - CU - Substitute Connolly slides fellow substitute Kaion Lisbie through, the pacey forward is 1-on-1, but Dzialuk rushes out fast to the edge of the box and gets down low to stop Lisbie's sweeping effort, and another great chance to seal this win goes begging!
85' - CU - Payne down the right, he gets past the defender and has a go from a tight angle, his cross-goal strike saved by the outstretched leg of Dzialuk.
87' - WO - Heart in mouth moment, another long throw, initially dealt with but pinged back in, drops to the far-post and an effort comes in, but Lo-Tutala, who was in the right place, is able to smother the ball.
89' - CU - Another speedy break from Lisbie, he unselfishly fires a low ball across the box for Connolly, he is at full-stretch but unable to connect to send the ball into the open net, so unlucky.
Well, I'm not sure how that one stayed only 1-0, Col U had plenty of chances to put that game to bed, and two very good penalty shouts, but instead the fans had to nervously watch their team close the game out with a solitary goal. I can see where Col U are struggling this season, their play is decent, Payne and Sesay supplying the magic, but they are very wasteful with their chances, with some better finishing I'd expect them to be further up the table. For Worcester City, their players put in a monumental effort but were largely nullified by the experienced Col U defence, their only real chances coming from their long-throw ins. If it weren't for a slew of brilliant saves from Dzialuk it would probably have been a comfortable 4-0 win, he was easily their star-man. All-in-all, was great to see Col U get over the line, and into the 2nd Round for the first time in 5 years, hopefully we get a good fixture, UP THE U's!!!
Line-Ups:
COLCHESTER UNITED: Thimothee Lo-Tutala, Kane Vincent-Young, Jack Tucker (C), Sean Raggett, Ellis Iandolo, Paul Digby, Jay Williams, Oscar Thorn, Jack Payne, Moses Sesay, Jaden Williams. SUBS: Ben Perry, Kaion Lisbie, Kien Connolly, Oscar Roberts, Samuel Kuffour, Ronnie Harvey, Max Jolliffe, Bradley Ihionvien, Adrian Akande.
WORCESTER CITY: Cristiano Dzialuk, Duncan Idehen, Charlie Wise (C), Ryan Wollacott, Mitchell Roberts, Luke Rowe, Harry Burns, Nathan Hayward, Joshua Ezewele, Zac Guinan, Liam Lockett. SUBS: Brandon Smalley, Alfie Halliwell, Josh Taroni, Adam Willis, Izak Reid, Tyreses Sibanda, Jeremy Abbey, Ryan McLean, Matt Richards.
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