After the sudden impact of Saturday’s hammering of Crewe, there was no better a way to kick off Tuesday night’s game at Colchester than to come out just as we had finished. Unfortunately by the end of the evening, it was Stuart Gray’s side who were this time on the end of a red card and a game that turned completely on its head following a successful first 45 minutes.
The game had started well enough with an unchanged Cobblers starting line-up settling well and Danny Jackman testing the waters with an early free kick, looking to add to his impressive tally this season. Billy Clarke was lively in the early going as well and seemed to be tripped in the area by a home defender but referee Mr Williamson waved away the protests.
But it was the Cobblers who took the initiative when Adebayo Akinfenwa, strangely playing second fiddle on Saturday, who stepped up and reminded Cobblers fans why he too can be a lethal as new boy Clarke. Abdul Osman turned the ball into Bayo’s path and the big man made no mistake by hammering the ball into the roof of the net to give us the lead.
A solitary Paul Reid effort that hit the side netting was all the home side could muster in the first half and it took a sending off to turn the game in their favour deep into stoppage time. Paul Rodgers, in only his second game for the club since joining from Arsenal, picked up a second yellow card after bringing down Marc Tierney and the second half looked set to be a long one.
The front two were brought off by Stuart Gray at the break with Bayo and Clarke being replaced by Andy Holt and Jason Crowe in a tactical reshuffle that saw Leon Constantine move up on his own up front.
It was always going to be a struggle and it was a double strike in quick succession that ultimately decided the game. Mark Yeates drew Colchester level on 57 minutes following a quickly taken short corner and then just a minute later it was 2-1 and all our hopes were beginning to slide away after Kem Izzet hit the bar and Scott Vernon hit home the rebound.
Giles Coke went close to salvaging something for the ten men before substitute Holt had a shot tipped wide of the post by U’s keeper Jimmy Walker in the closing stages. With the Cobblers trying to get forward, Colchester nearly broke with a third goal but Jamie Guy shot wide. It didn’t matter though and the Cobblers were beaten in their first ever visit to the Weston Homes Community Stadium.
We’re back on home soil this weekend with the visit of top club Leicester City who lead League One by ten points in what should be a massive test for Stuart Gray’s men. For now we reflect on another game that could so easily have fallen in our favour but for the red card that undoubtedly turned the tide in Colchester’s favour.
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