The last time the U's met the Baggies in cup action back in September 1996 the Essex players were hailed as giantkillers and heroes to a man.

Match winner - star man Joe Dunne gave a ten-out-of-ten performance for the U's in their historic 5-4 aggregate win over the Baggies in 1996

Colchester United's brave warriors rightly commanded that proud acclaim after totally outplaying First Division West Bromwich Albion on their own ground to overturn a 3-2 Coca Cola Cup first-round deficit into a magnificent 5-4 aggregate win.

And current Layer Road Youth Team Manager Joe Dunne - man-of-the-match, scorer of the blistering, all-important 20-yard winning goal and one of 13 Colchester heroes on the night - is confident Phil Parkinson's U's can savour that same glory this time.

The U's and without-a-win Premiership strugglers West Brom - only Crystal Palace are below them in the table - have been thrown together in a Carling Cup second round tie at Layer Road tonight.

And Dunne, one of only two survivers still at Layer Road from that epic win along with club captain Karl Duguid, said: "That was one of the most memorable games I've ever played in and there's no reason why our lads shouldn't experience those same feelings again.

"These are the kind of games you want to play in and our chances of winning are just as good."

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Published Tuesday, September 21, 2004

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