The Hatters undertook their second long trip in three days to take on relegation-threatened hosts nicknamed the ‘U’s’, and edged out second-from-bottom Colchester by the odd goal in three to leave themselves needing only one more point for automatic promotion.
The assignment in North-Eastern Essex – rescheduled to a Tuesday night following its postponement just over five weeks earlier – was not without its drama. Nick Powell put County ahead around the half-hour mark, before the hosts equalised shortly ahead of the break, captain Paddy Madden restored County’s lead just after the hour, and Ben Hinchliffe then saved a penalty to save the scorers being troubled further and make sure of victory.
It was the Hatters’ fifth straight win, their seventh ‘double’ of the season, and their tenth successive game unbeaten. But, most importantly, the three points gained see County stay four points clear at the top of the table, and requiring just a single one at home to Morecambe this Saturday to make mathematically certain of playing again in League One for the first time since 2010.
It was an evening alternating between clear and drizzly skies, as well as featuring a glimpse of rainbow overhead, as County took to the Community Stadium pitch – whose dimensions, following frequent waterlogging, had been reduced by three metres in length and four metres in width to exclude the worst-affected areas on the east side of the ground.
The Hatters’ starting line-up showed three changes from that at 22nd-placed Sutton over the weekend. Ethan Bristow returned to action after a five-match absence due to injury – replacing Ibby Touray, who had himself suffered an ankle problem late on in the Sutton game. Connor Lemonheigh Evans and Powell were also recalled for starts – as Odin Bailey and Callum Camps both dropped to a bench that also included Louie Barry, following his recovery from a torn hamstring suffered at Crewe just under six months previously.
The hosts named among their substitutes a recent ex-Hatter, Jayden Richardson, who was currently on loan at the Community Stadium from Aberdeen, as he had been in SK3 for the first half of the campaign – during which, in all competitions, he made half a dozen starts and twice that number of appearances off the County bench.
With a little over two minutes played, a chipped through-ball by Neill Byrne from the halfway-line picked out Tanto Olaofe, who chested it down before firing into the right side-netting by way of the contest’s first chance.
Four minutes later, Madden went close after Colchester had failed to clear a Kyle Knoyle cross from the right – but the County skipper’s point-blank shot was deflected behind by home goalkeeper Owen Goodman. And, shortly afterwards, Powell drilled beyond the left post, having been teed up by Antoni Sarcevic’s short free-kick from distance.
Colchester’s first attack of note emanated from the left, as a cross towards the County six-yard box by Noah Chilvers, just before the quarter-hour mark, was headed behind, and away from danger, by Sarcevic. And 15 minutes later, much-travelled striker John Akinde broke through to the right of goal – only to be denied by the legs of Hinchliffe.
It was a case of cometh the half-hour, cometh a County goal – albeit in unusual circumstances, as a short-corner routine on the left between Sarcevic and Powell led the latter to send a speculative delivery into the home box. Goodman rose in a crowded area to claim, but then spilled, the ball – leaving it to bobble over the line for Powell’s third goal of the season. Such was its extraordinariness, the goal was only clocked and greeted by the 700-plus travelling Hatters at the opposite end a good few seconds afterwards.
But, as half-time approached, the hosts drew level – and, again, a corner was involved, as Cam McGeehan stole in at the far post to convert Arthur Read’s delivery from the right.
HALF-TIME: Colchester 1 (McGeehan, 44), County 1 (Powell, 31).
The U’s, duly buoyed up by their late first-half goal, launched the inaugural attack after the interval, as substitute Jayden Fevrier sent across a low ball from the right that Hinchliffe gathered up in front of the near post.
Moments later, the Hatters countered on the left through Bristow – whose cross was met on the half-volley, but blasted over, by Sarcevic. And eight minutes later, the Hatters had the ball in the net – courtesy of a Fraser Horsfall header from Bristow’s free-kick – only for the effort to be flagged offside and ruled out.
At County’s end, Read, from the edge of the box, curled a shot narrowly shy of the left upright. But the next attack to be launched came from the Hatters and saw them get their noses back in front, as Bristow delivered a looping cross from the left, Lemonheigh Evans connected with it to the right of goal and drilled the ball back for Madden to drive in from close range.
The hosts were awarded their penalty five minutes later, after Tom Hopper went to ground in the County box under a challenge by Ethan Pye – but Hinchliffe kept his side ahead by diving to the right and keeping out McGeehan’s spot-kick.
By the time 15 minutes remained on the clock, each side had made four changes apiece – including Barry for the Hatters – and a further sequence of end-to-end fare ensued, together with a booking for home manager Danny Cowley as passions ran high.
But the Hatters safely saw out the game – taking them, and all of us, on to what will hopefully be an afternoon to remember in SK3 four days hence.
FULL-TIME: Colchester 1 (McGeehan, 44), County 2 (Powell, 31; Madden, 61).
Team (3-5-2): Hinchliffe; Byrne, Horsfall, Pye; Knoyle, Lemonheigh Evans (Barry, 63), Sarcevic (Camps, 63), Powell, Bristow (Hippolyte, 75); Olaofe (Bailey, 86), Madden (Capt.) (Wootton, 63).
Unused Subs: Smith, Richards.
Booked: Horsfall, Knoyle, Powell, Byrne.
Attendance: 4,118 (736 away).
Reporter: Gareth Evans.
Photographer: Mike Petch.
