Colchester as we get back to league action

It was all supposed to be an exciting summer ahead of the new season but things didn't quite work out just as they had hoped. They lost highly rated midfield player Neil Danns to Birmingham in a half million pound deal and failed to hang on to manager Phil Parkinson.

Parkinson had become the man in demand and the U's were constantly turning down requests by other clubs to speak to him. Eventually the manager said enough is enough following an approach from Hull and he resigned. There were court injunctions to prevent him moving on before the two clubs eventually agreed a compensation package.

Assistant Geraint Williams took over as caretaker before being handed the job full time and he set about preparing his squad for the new season. Jamie Cureton had already signed for them after spending some time there on loan last season and Johnnie Jackson who had been on loan at Layer Road over three years earlier moved from Spurs, but there were no further signings ahead of the opening day of the season. The only player further movement saw defender Liam Chilvers move to Preston.

Since the season got underway four further players have arrived. Midfielder Robbie King came from Hereford and Laurie Wilson, a defender from Kidderminster were both August signings although neither of them have been involved as yet.

Williams then added two players from South Wales. The first of them was a loan signing, that of Cardiff defender Chris Barker and he's played in their last two games whilst since the last game he's signed Kevin McLeod from Swansea.

They are currently third from bottom in the table with three points, these coming in their last game which was a 4-3 home win over Derby when Jamie Cureton hit a hat trick in a game where they were 4-1 up going into the last ten minutes.

Click HERE to see all Colchester's results this season.

Further news this week has seen the club sold with Peter Heard, owner for the last nine years, selling his controlling interest to Robbie Cowling although for now he will continue as Chairman. Heard said: “Whilst he will want to continue to run the club along similar lines to the past, his pockets are probably deeper than mine.”

Geraint Williams has a stronger squad to select from than previously this season with only one player ruled out. That is striker Marino Keith who hasn't played as yet this season because of an ankle problem.

Johnnie Jackson though is back, he was substituted in their home defeat against Barnsley four weeks ago with a trapped nerve and then followed that up with a groin strain but he's fully fit again and will be in the squad alongside George Elokobi, who has been ruled out with suspension after receiving a red card in a reserve game. New signing Kevin McLeod will also feature.

Colchester will select from the following squad of eighteen players: Dean Gerken, Aidan Davison, Greg Halford, George Elokobi, Garry Richards, Pat Baldwin, John White, Wayne Brown, Chris Barker, Karl Duguid, Kem Izzet, Kevin Watson, Richard Garcia, Johnnie Jackson, Kevin McLeod, Chris Iwelumo, Jamie Guy, Jamie Cureton.

Click HERE to see the full Colchester squad.

Steve Cotterill will await the return of his international trio from duty in Ireland, and if all of them return fit then he's likely to have close to a full squad to choose from with just John McGreal in any doubt because of the injury that only allowed him to play half of the game against Crystal Palace.

If McGreal does miss out then captain Wayne Thomas is ready to return after serving his one match suspension at Selhurst Park and he's expected to lead the side out against Colchester.

There's unlikely to be much change from the side that drew at Palace two weeks ago and he could well go with the same formation again with Kyle Lafferty and Steve Jones playing wide.

If so then we could line up: Brian Jensen, Frank Sinclair, Wayne Thomas, Michael Duff, Jon Harley, James O'Connor, Micah Hyde, Alan Mahon, Kyle Lafferty, Andy Gray, Steve Jones. Subs from: Stephen Foster, Chris McCann, Garreth O'Connor, John Spicer, Wade Elliott, Graham Branch, Gifton Noel-Williams, John McGreal.

We go back to our promotion season of 1999/2000 and we'd made a good start with fourteen points from the first seven games, the only defeat having come at Bristol Rovers. Colchester meanwhile were just one place above the relegation places and Burnley were expected to win the game comfortably.

It needed an early goal and that's just what we got. With nine minutes on the clock, Paul Cook played a free kick out to Glen Little on the right and Andy Payton was on the end of his cross to head us in front.

That was it as a contest as the Clarets totally dominated and the second duly arrived, seven minutes before half time, although this one was somewhat fortunate. Graham Branch was fouled on the edge of the box, it looked outside but Yorkshire referee Paul Robinson pointed to the spot and Payts scored his and our second.

Six minutes after the break it was all over and for Burnley fans, and one on the pitch in particular, it was a moment we had all waited for. Paul Smith, playing at left back, played a delightful ball through for Andy Payton who steadied himself before placing it in the bottom corner for his first Burnley hat trick.

It was just a stroll from then on but there were no more goals as the win took Burnley top of the league and dropped Colchester into the bottom two.

The teams were;

Burnley: Paul Crichton, Dean West, Steve Davis, Mitchell Thomas, Paul Smith, Glen Little (John Mullin 73), Gordon Armstrong, Micky Mellon (Lenny Johnrose 70), Paul Cook, Andy Payton, Graham Branch (Alan Lee 63). Subs not used: Ronnie Jepson, Tom Cowan.

Colchester: Simon Brown, Richard Wilkins, David Greene, Karl Duguid, Craig Farley, Sagi Burton, Warren Aspinall, Fabrice Richard (Lomano LuaLua 52), David Gregory, Jamie Moralee (Thomas Pinault 75), Steve Germain (Kelchie-Krisantos Opara 52). Subs not used: Andy Walker, Sam Okafar.