Colchester v Sutton preview

21 April 2023

After a run of four games against sides in the Sky Bet League Two promotion race, Sutton face opposition on Saturday whose concerns have been at the other end of the table with a visit to Colchester United. U's will be wearing all black.

While Colchester have been at the wrong end of the table for much of the season, they look to have just about secured their EFL status for next season, and a win in tomorrow's game will make that a mathematical certainty, a reflection of the improvement made since Ben Garner took over as manager at the beginning of March. A former Sutton reserve team player who took Swindon to the play-offs last season, the new manager's first two games saw defeats against Bradford and Stockport, but after then scoring twice in the last two minutes to earn a draw at champions-elect Leyton Orient, Colchester have been unbeaten in six subsequent games to make the possibility of relegation all but disappear, with a draw at Stevenage and a win at Salford included in that run.

Sutton have a 100% record over the Essex U's, doing a league double last season and also knocking Colchester out of the Papa Johns Trophy, while Rob Milsom's penalty secured the points this season at the VBS in a game marred by a serious injury to Colchester midfielder Alan Judge. However more recent form has seen a torrid run of defeats against four of the current top six in the table, with Sutton without a win since beating Crawley 3-0 in March. Manager Matt Gray expects just as tough a game at the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday, saying: ''Colchester have picked up some important results since Ben took over and look on course to stay up. They're in good form and have a good squad, so it will be a very tough game.''

Updating on team news, Matt said that Lee Angol and Josh Neufville could come back in to contention after missing Tuesday's defeat against Northampton through injury, while a couple of other knocks picked up on Tuesday will be assessed before the game.

The man in the middle on Saturday is Carl Brook, who first refereed a Sutton game in 2007 and is now in his third season as an EFL referee. He has previously taken charge of Sutton games at Wimbledon and Leyton Orient this season and refereed the Gillingham v Leyton Orient game on Tuesday.

Tickets remain available on line and can be booked here. Prices until the end of Friday are: Adults £20.50; Concessions £15.50; Under 18 £11.75. On matchday the prices rise by £2 in all cases, but tickets can still be bought on line. Tickets are also on sale from the self service machine in the ticket office on Saturday, although this is likely to be very busy and on line purchase is recommended.

For those not travelling, there will be an audio commentary on the game for UK supporters through our iFollow service, price £2.50, while a monthly pass at £4.49 will also cover next week's game against Rochdale. Overseas supporters can watch a live stream for £10. Click here to buy the relevant pass.

The Supporters' Club coach, which is fully booked, leaves at 10.30am. Those driving to the game should leave the A12 at junction 28. Turn right at the roundabout to cross the A12, then straight on at the next roundabout and right at the third roundabout in to United Way. Car parking at the ground is £7 (£6 for disabled parking)and must be booked in advance. Again booking is on line using this link. Alternatively the Colchester park and ride car park is about a 5-10 minute walk from the ground, just off junction 28 of the A12 and costing £3. Tickets must be bought on line using this link and quoting site 737944. Leave the Park & Ride site by the exit next to McDonalds and cross the A12 on Boxted Road to enter the stadium complex.

By rail Colchester is served by a reasonably frequent service from Liverpool Street, taking about an hour. The Park & Ride service picks up from Layby Stand F and drops you at the Park & Ride site mentioned above. Buses 2, 8 and 65 all stop at the station and go within ten minutes of the ground. Further information is available here.

There is a Fan Zone at the JobServe Community Stadium, which will be open for both home and away fans, in the Legends Bar in the West Stand, opening at 12:30pm, with the screens showing the SPFL game between Hearts and Ross County. Both the Legends Bar and Hotshots Cafe will be open and serving food and drinks from 12:30pm until kick off, and then open again from the end of the game for approximately one hour.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Match report for Colchester United 4 Sutton United 1

22 April 2023

Colchester United 4 (Chambers 19, Akinde 26, Tchamadeu 41, Chilvers 63) Sutton United 1(Ajiboye 11)

Facing opposition in the lower reaches of Sky Bet League Two rather than the top six failed to provide a change in Sutton's fortunes as, despite scoring early through David Ajiboye, the defence was unable to handle the twin threat of John Akinde and Samson Tovide and Colchester had turned the game emphatically around by half time, adding a fourth goal just after the hour and easily closing out the victory that at the beginning of the afternoon they needed to ensure Football League survival, although Hartlepool's defeat by Crawley ultimately rendered it unnecessary.

For Sutton it was a fifth consecutive league defeat, and the priority now will be to ensure a top half finish with clubs just below U's closing the gap.

U's were missing Will Randall, with Enzio Boldewijn starting in the left midfield position, and he played a prominent role as Sutton were away to a fine start with a goal in the 11th minute, beating Luke Chambers to the ball and cutting in to the penalty area before setting up Donovan Wilson, who did well to get a low shot on target and although Tom Smith made a good save Ajiboye was left with a simple task to lift the ball in to the open goal.

Ajiboye tried his luck again soon afterwards, pulling his shot from twenty yards wide, but Colchester were level eight minutes after conceding as Arthur Read's corner from the right took a flick at the near post and was bundled in by Chambers at the far post. Ali Smith immediately replied with a low shot that was saved, but Colchester were soon on top and when Connor Hall's bouncing cross rebounded off Goodliffe, Akinde ignored the appeals for handball with a crisp volley in to the top corner.

Rose saved an awkward low shot from Ossama Ashley as Colchester kept up the pressure, but Sutton went close as Smith just failed to reach a Boldewijn free kick, and nearly levelled five minutes before half time as Smith battled well to find Wilson just inside the penalty area, but his shot on the turn deflected off a defender and bounced over off the back of the crossbar. As it was, Colchester took a huge step towards the points when Tovide proved too quick for Coby Rowe to race down the right, and when Rose pushed out his low angled shot Junior Tchamadeu was able to tap in to the empty net.

It should have been worse, as in the last action of the half Akinde, strolling back from an offside position as the ball was played through, was played onside as Goodliffe's attempt to cut the pass out resulted in it flicking off his head straight to the striker. A fourth goal looked a formality, but Goodliffe recovered to block one effort as Akinde tried unselfishly to set up Tovide, and Akinde then managed to hit the post from inside the six yard box.

Goodliffe, who had been a doubt before the game, didn't reappear for the second half, Josh Neufville coming on as Boldewijn dropped in to right back and Joe Kizzi went to centre back, but there were few moments when Sutton looked likely to recover the situation and just after the hour the Akinde/Tovide combination struck again. Akinde outjumped Rowe to head on Tom Smith's long free kick and Tovide, who will have much fonder memories of this game than the corresponding game last season when he was sent off for a goalline handball, managed to beat both Kizzi and Boldewijn to the ball before a neat backheel set up Noah Chilvers, who blasted the ball past the helpless Jack Rose. That killed any hopes of a Sutton comeback, Kizzi coming close to a consolation goal in injury time but heading just wide, and U's will head to relegated Rochdale on Saturday looking to turn the tide before the last day visit of Carlisle, the Cumbrians still very much involved in the promotion shake-up.

Sutton: J Rose, J Kizzi, R Milsom, C Rowe, B Goodliffe(sub J Neufville H-T), D Ajiboye, E Boldewijn, A Smith, O Bugiel, H Beautyman, D Wilson(sub L Angol 80) Subs n/u B House, S Hart, L Gambin, K Kouassi, M Dennis. Booked: Boldewijn

Colchester: T Smith, W Greenidge, F Kelleher, L Chambers, C Hall(sub J Fevrier 86), J Tchamadeu(sub T Dallison 80), O Ashley, A Read, J Akinde(sub T Hopper 72), N Chilvers(sub M Jay 72), S Tovide(sub A Newby 85). Subs n/u K O'Hara, M Marshall Miranda.

Referee: Carl Brook

Attendance: 3,851(275 away)