Colchester United drew with Bradford City in League Two

Spirited U's

DANNY Cowley’s teams have always shown plenty of character and spirit; they never lie down.

And even in these embryonic days of the Cowleys’ time at Colchester United, those characteristics are being seen in abundance.

For the second successive week, the U’s battled back from a losing position to claim a point, after drawing 1-1 with Bradford City.

The Cowleys are certainly earning their money when it comes to their half-time team talks.

Danny felt his side were not courageous enough in possession, in the first half.

There were too many unforced errors and they gave the ball away too much, albeit on a difficult surface.

At times, it was almost like they were trying too hard to follow instructions and perhaps the changes enforced due to left-back Ellis Iandolo’s injury in training had a detrimental effect on the U’s performance, in the opening 45 minutes.

But it was much better in the second half; Colchester played at a quicker tempo, were more purposeful in possession and looked more threatening in front of goal.

Terrific Tom

TOM Hopper has been knocking them in left, right and centre in training all week.

But he can’t have hit too many better goals than the one he scored for Colchester in their draw with Bradford.

Hopper’s control and finish were of the highest quality and his goal capped an excellent all-round performance, following on from his impressive display at Swindon Town last weekend.

“I love Tom; I’m going to take him home this weekend!” joked Cowley, after heaping praise on Hopper after the game.

In Cowley, the striker has a big fan and a head coach who has huge confidence and belief in his ability.

That has shown in Hopper’s last two performances and it is great to see, given that his U’s career up until now has perhaps not gone as well as he would have liked and expected since arriving from Lincoln City, 12 months ago.

Hopper fully deserves the plaudits he is getting and he could well prove to be a key player for Colchester, between now and the end of the season.

Making a connection

COLCHESTER United’s home supporters looked totally absorbed watching the Cowleys in action for the first time…and that was just the pre-match warm-up.

The new U’s management duo have brought a whole new approach, one that is packed full of energy and enthusiasm but also a real desire to win.

Colchester’s fans played their part yesterday, wearing blue and white, bringing along their scarves and chanting the Cowleys’ names.

And even when things did not go the U’s way, particularly in the first half, Danny and Nicky were always keen to encourage the supporters around them to stay positive.

Admittedly, there were some quieter moments in the first half when Colchester struggled to get their game going but the contrast between this atmosphere and the one for the U’s last home game against Gillingham was palpable.

An immediate connection has been formed and that bodes well for the rest of this season and beyond.

Making an impact

FOR the second successive week, Conor Wilkinson came off the bench and made a big difference for Colchester United.

The new U’s signing made an impact straight away in a right-sided attacking role and gave the Bradford defence something totally different to think about.

He proved a real handful for the visitors and his desire and enthusiasm to make an impression is showing from the start.

Given his performances off the bench over the last couple of weeks, Wilkinson has made a valid claim to start Colchester’s vital game at Salford City, next Friday.

Super Sam

IT was all about Colchester United present and future on Saturday, with it being the Cowleys’ first home game in charge.

However, there was a taste of U’s past on show, with Sam Walker returning to the JobServe Community Stadium to face his old club on his Bradford City debut.

It was nice to see the former Colchester goalkeeper deservedly receive a good reception from the home fans on his return; he was always a popular player for the U’s, during his time with the club.

Walker had little to do in the first half but he was kept busier after half-time and needed to make a spectacular save in the closing stages to tip Arthur Read’s long-range strike over the bar and ensure a share of the spoils.