Colchester United and Carlisle United have both had inconsistent starts to their respective League Two campaigns. They faced off on Saturday at the Colchester Community Stadium and played out a 0-0 draw.
An overview of the game
The away side started the stronger of the two sides and kept the ball well in large parts of the first half. While Mike Williamson’s side had the better of the first half and kept the ball well they lacked a real cutting edge with Charlie Wyke missing the only clear chance they created.
Danny Cowley’s side came out in the second half and really moved through the gears and looked by far the better side. Carlisle really faded as an attacking threat in the second half and if it wasn’t for the saves of goalkeeper Harry Lewis Colchester would have come away with the three points.
What did we learn from a Colchester perspective?
Colchester had a game of two halves and that sums up their start to the season. It shows that they are still struggling for that consistency to get a string of results together.
Mandela Egbo was a constant threat throughout the game but especially in the second half getting into dangerous areas and getting balls in to dangerous areas.
Jack Payne had his usual solid game in midfield, got hold of the ball and tried to make things happen for the home side, not every pass found their mark but he was a real creative spark for Colchester.
What did we learn from a Carlisle perspective?
Carlisle has struggled on the road this season and has been making crucial errors that have led to goals for the opposition but in this game, they cut those costly errors out and were tough to break down.
The Cumbrians’ goalkeeper Harry Lewis made some good saves in the second half to keep Carlisle level. Lewis has received his share of criticism since he joined the club in January but against Colchester, he showed what he can do.
The defence and midfield were a lot more compact and tough to break through in this game and nobody in the Carlisle side embodied this more than Terell Thomas and Harrison Neal.
Where does this result leave both sides?
This draw leaves Colchester United in 16th place with 11 points from 10 games after an inconsistent start to the season.
Although Carlisle will be the happier of the two sides with the result it leaves them in 22nd position with 7 points from 10 games after a really poor start in their return to League Two.
Who is up next for both sides?
Up next for Colchester is a trip to Leyton Orient on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy where they will want to improve on this result.
Carlisle United will host Wigan Athletic on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy where they will want to build on this hard-earned point on the road.