U's are thrashed on final day of the season

4:51pm Saturday 5th May 2012 in Sport By Jonathan Waldron

Consolation - Anthony Wordsworth scored in stoppage-time for Colchester United at Notts County. Consolation - Anthony Wordsworth scored in stoppage-time for Colchester United at Notts County.

Colchester United crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Notts County this afternoon at Meadow Lane.

The U's season finished on a low note when they were beaten by the Magpies, who despite their win failed to clinch a play-off place following Stevenage's win over Bury.

John Ward's side clinched a tenth-place finish in League One, after Hartlepool failed to win at champions Charlton Athletic.

Colchester fell behind midway through the first half when Jeff Hughes headed in from Alan Sheehan's corner, despite Michael Rose's attempts to clear off the line.

And the U's fell further behind after 32 minutes when Daniel Bogdanovic looped a header over Williams from Alan Judge's cross into the area.

Judge then got on the scoresheet himself with a superb long-range effort that sailed past Williams and in at his near post.

And it was 4-0 five minutes after the break when Kieron Freeman latched onto Lloyd Sam's pass and cleverly poked a low shot past Williams and in.

Anthony Wordsworth's fine free-kick hit the post before sailing across goal and away with nine minutes to go, before Wordsworth fired in a stoppage-time consolation for the U's when he lashed in from substitute Freddie Sears' cross.

But Colchester were heavily beaten, as they finished the campaign with a defeat.

See Monday's Gazette for more on this story and all of the latest Colchester United news.

Comments(14)

myhouse3 says...
5:17pm Sat 5 May 12

Well done Mr Ward for putting out a strong forward line you really went for it. dreadful boring still whats new on that front.

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Sparkfilms says...
6:09pm Sat 5 May 12

After reading Mr Ward's comments before the match ( 'integrity' etc ) I was rather hoping that we would go head to head with County and attack them.

Silly me.

We put out just about the most negative line up that we could muster and were in effect steam-rollered.

10th place flatters us.

It has been ( in my view ) a very disappointing stop / start season.

I really can't see how ( quote ) 'we have just missed out on the play off's' ( I think one of the players said that ).

It's not like we missed out by a couple of points - in truth we were nowhere near a play off place come the end of the season.

A great shame we saw so little of Sears.

I would have started him in every game.

As I understand it several players may have left the club already.

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Eddy D says...
6:39pm Sat 5 May 12

Does anyone know who all those 12 or 15 players out of contract actually are?

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crazy comments says...
7:14pm Sat 5 May 12

The supporters voted for Odejay as player of the year, yet Ward starts him on the bench with Sears. Mr Ward now the season has ended, now the time has come to puplicly call you a complete waste of space. I think during the season on and off, most supporters have tried at times to believe that may be they were wrong, and you was right, me included. Before the January transfer market closing, fans were begging you to sign a striker on loan as it was obvious we were lacking scoring power. That never materialised only that we got a loan player from Wales who must have been the worst loan signing ever. As this season has gradually come to its end, I have been dismayed by the amount of contracts offered to players that are in my opinion are only blue square league standard. Nothing to get fans excited about, but a future of dismall football again next season. I am fed up with the same old story from you hearing how people like Dugard are good for the youngsters. If you dont play the youth how the hell will they learn then. I speak my mind like Harry Rednap and a few people will get upset but players like Heath, Dugard , Izett now need moving on. You judge players on abilty not whether you like them or not. Mr Ward you are in my opinion fickle and spineless and never in a million years will you be a good manager. You can have all your coaching badges but you still need a mentality in being able to manage. Its finished a disapointing end to this season, and I imagine it will be harder still to sell season tickets for next season. Finally i see that we have another coach joining for next season another ex Col player. How many coaches do we have now. Ive lost count .As they say,you pay peanuts and you get monkeys. Thats certainly the case with Mr Cowling. Those words from Alan Sugar are never truer.

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super waluigi says...
7:56pm Sat 5 May 12

Eddy D wrote:
Does anyone know who all those 12 or 15 players out of contract actually are?
Well that makes it 4-4 on agg against Notts county then.

I have read Crazy comments post, and I cannot believe you have compared yourself to Harry Redknap. (I bet you rejected the England job behind closed doors too, eh, Crazy???)

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Catboy says...
8:15pm Sat 5 May 12

It has been very strange that we have only played Hamilton for 10 mins and no other young player when the season was lost weeks ago. Freddie is 19 and should be in the fray to see if he has it. We have missed a trick there. I think this was the last realistic chance of the championship as the high value squad has to be disbanded. OJ was on £6k per week - player of the season? He hasn't scored for 28 games! That was an insult to evey player in the squad - 5 goals in 46 appearances is appalling, and he is statistically the worst striker the Us have ever had. It has been a really poor season - the record home defeat was brutal. I can't see John being there much longer as the attendances decline with his vey negative style. It is strange because when we do go for it we normally win well (Notts County/Tranmere)

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crazy comments says...
8:21pm Sat 5 May 12

super waluigi wrote:
Eddy D wrote:
Does anyone know who all those 12 or 15 players out of contract actually are?
Well that makes it 4-4 on agg against Notts county then.

I have read Crazy comments post, and I cannot believe you have compared yourself to Harry Redknap. (I bet you rejected the England job behind closed doors too, eh, Crazy???)
Yea! I decided to let Roy have the Job as he reminds me as a bit like Ward. He likes to lick peoples ar- oh sorry i meant ears.

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Layer Road Exile says...
9:42pm Sat 5 May 12

Wards win record of 32% in his managerial time at U's is truly appalling. There can't be many managers who keep their job when winning less than a third of games. Having been a regular at home matches since the early 60's, I watched only seven games this season and with one possible exception, I am sorry to say they were all dreadfully poor. Ward is playing out time on his career and U's fans can expect to see the same negative, set up not to lose tactics next season which will drive yet more fans to other pursuits on a Saturday afternoon. Cowling is hiding his inability to invest in the team behind the wage cap. Fans should not be fooled. The rules allow Directors to put capital into their clubs as equity but they can no longer make loans to the club. The club budget can therefore be as large as Cowling wants or can afford to make it. He chooses to take the cheap route and fans continue to vote with their feet.

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lollardknight says...
10:27pm Sat 5 May 12

The decisions the current manager is making and the quality of his players we will end up like Darlington, new stadium and down in the lower leagues!
We all know last summer a couple of strikers should have been signed and now we face another summer of departures and over the hill cheap alternatives kept, this club needs new blood from top to bottom.....all I can muster to say is Lee Clark....

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Feisty CBC says...
11:58pm Sat 5 May 12

4-5-1! Why oh why? All season, even at home until we go well ahead. For crying out loud man it doesn't work, it lacks quality it's boring, it's time for a change.

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angryman!!! says...
12:11am Sun 6 May 12

The club keeps banging on about having to reduce the budget, but week in we keep seeing fringe players getting offered contracts, majority of them have shown their not good enough at this level!
Next season will be another mid table season but I feel closer to relegation than playoffs.
Please don't talk about budgets, Stevenage made it in the playoffs!

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crazy comments says...
1:27pm Sun 6 May 12

I agree your dead right angryman.

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Boris says...
12:54am Tue 8 May 12

We have to assume that the mediocre players are being offered contracts at substantially lower wages than last time. And they are accepting, because a pay cut is better than no job.
That seems to be the only way CUFC can stay within the total salary cap.
Angryman is right, we shall end up lower down the table this coming season. Let's hope we can stay up.
Up the U's.

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super waluigi says...
10:38pm Tue 8 May 12

Boris wrote:
We have to assume that the mediocre players are being offered contracts at substantially lower wages than last time. And they are accepting, because a pay cut is better than no job.
That seems to be the only way CUFC can stay within the total salary cap.
Angryman is right, we shall end up lower down the table this coming season. Let's hope we can stay up.
Up the U's.
Only if you assume that every other club is not cutting their budget, but because the other clubs are reshaping as well, then why can't we stay 10th again????

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