Pluses and minuses

JOHN McGreal had stressed to his Colchester United players before their game with Swindon Town that he did not want them to finish their home campaign with a whimper.

The U’s head coach probably got his wish – but they certainly did not go out all guns blazing either, in their final game of the season at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

On the plus side, Colchester ended a run of three straight defeats with their 0-0 draw, some of their build-up play was good to watch and they also kept their first clean sheet in six matches.

There was also the bonus of seeing youngsters Dillon Barnes and Ryan Gondoh both make their league debuts.

But on the downside, this rather turgid match offered more evidence of why Colchester have fallen short of the play-offs this season – and gave plenty of food for thought on exactly what they need to improve on, next season.

A goalscorer is likely to be at the top of their list of requirements, this summer.

But in that department, demand is generally greater than supply in the EFL.

Gondoh catches the eye

DUE to some unfortunate technical issues with the stadium microphone, the moment Ryan Gondoh appeared as a second-half substitute to make his Colchester United debut did not receive the fanfare it perhaps deserved.

But the youngster certainly made up for that with his eye-catching performance on the pitch.

In the 25 minutes or so that he was on the field, Gondoh showed enough confidence, promise and technical ability to suggest that he might be one to watch for the U’s, next season.

The former Maldon and Tiptree attacker has been putting in some impressive performances for Wayne Brown’s under-23 side, over recent months.

And when he finally got his chance on the League Two stage, he grasped it with both hands.

As John McGreal said afterwards, Gondoh brought something different to the U’s side, something that could prove particularly useful in the 2018-19 campaign.

Up, up and away

OF the players who took to the Weston Homes Community Stadium pitch yesterday, no-one could rival Matty Taylor’s stellar career in the professional game.

The 36-year-old Swindon Town left-back made hundreds of Premier League appearances for the likes of Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers and West Ham United.

So it was somewhat surprising, therefore, that it was Taylor who managed to clear the stands of the Community Stadium not once but twice with his clearances, over the course of the 90 minutes.

That is no mean feat but Taylor more than made up for it with a typically solid performance, in the 0-0 draw.

Dillon's dream debut

SAM Walker had played every minute of every league game for Colchester United over the past two seasons, prior to being named as a substitute for their penultimate game of the season against Swindon Town.

That has been great for Walker, who has been the picture of consistency and also for the U’s, who have had one of the best goalkeepers in the lower leagues at their disposal.

Unfortunately for Dillon Barnes, it has meant lots of time waiting in the wings for an opportunity but that finally came along on Saturday and he did not let anyone down.

Admittedly, the 22-year-old had little to do but when he was called upon, he looked assured on his first-ever league start and played his part in the U’s keeping a clean sheet.

Future looks bright

ENTERTAINMENT was generally in short supply in Colchester United’s goal-less stalemate with Swindon Town.

But those supporters who stayed behind at the final whistle for the U’s under-15 Floodlit Shield area final with Southampton were rewarded, after being treated to a six-goal thriller.

Paul Abrahams’ side will play either Sunderland or Derby County in the final, having seen off the Saints on penalties after the game had finished 3-3 after extra-time at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

It has been a productive season for the club’s academy, with the under-23s producing some impressive performances against bigger clubs and the under-18s reaching the quarter-finals of the FA Youth Cup.

Colchester fans are desperate to see the club's first team challenge for promotion in League Two and falling short of the play-offs for a second successive season is a disappointment.

But amid that frustration, they can perhaps take heart in what potentially lies ahead.