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Reply | Will it be Dr Jekyll or Mr Hide on All Hallow’s Eve?
at 17:03 31 Oct 2026
Well that was a travesty, we should have won that game, or at worst drawn 2-2 - but we lose 3-1. Walsall are a good side, and probably deserve their position at the right end of the league, but we were better - f'ck! |
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Reply | Will it be Dr Jekyll or Mr Hide on All Hallow’s Eve?
at 15:49 31 Oct 2026
Great response from the U's, forced some decent saves, one goal disallowed but Jack from the spot gives us the equaliser we deserved. Apart from their early goal, a very good performance from the U's so far. |
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Reply | Will it be Dr Jekyll or Mr Hide on All Hallow’s Eve?
at 14:49 31 Oct 2026
Well, I got a few of them right, Bradley on the bench, Chiwome straight into the starting XI, and KVY replaces Hunt. Still no sign of Anderson though, but Tom returns to the bench and Raggett starts in place of Terry. Payne preferred ahead of Jaden Williams. |
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Reply | Happy Cup 2026/27 1st Round - Deadline Saturday 7th November 15.00
at 10:25 31 Oct 2026
Good luck Gerry and Oxford!
ACCRINGTON STANLEY v WYCOMBE WANDERERS 1-1
BOREHAM WOOD v WIGAN ATHLETIC 1-2
BRISTOL ROVERS v CAMBRIDGE UNITED 2-2
BROMLEY v ROTHERHAM UNITED 0-2
CARLISLE UNITED v SALFORD CITY 1-3
COLCHESTER UNITED v WORCESTER CITY 3-0
CREWE ALEXANDRA v AFC WIMBLEDON 1-2
EASTLEIGH v SHREWSBURY TOWN 2-1
HORNCHURCH v BLACKPOOL 0-4
MILTON KEYNES DONS v SWINDON TOWN 2-1 |
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Reply | Happy League 2026/27 Week 12 (of 38) - Deadline Saturday 31st October 12.30
at 01:16 31 Oct 2026
GRIMSBY TOWN v YORK CITY (12.30) 2-1
PORT VALE v ROCHDALE (12.30) 1-1
ACCRINGTON STANLEY v NORTHAMPTON TOWN 1-2
CREWE ALEXANDRA v BARNET 2-0
FLEETWOOD TOWN v BRISTOL ROVERS 1-1
OLDHAM ATHLETIC v CRAWLEY TOWN 3-0
SALFORD CITY v EXETER CITY 2-1
SHREWSBURY TOWN v GILLINGHAM 1-1
SWINDON TOWN v ROTHERHAM UNITED 2-0
TRANMERE ROVERS v CHELTENHAM TOWN 1-1 |
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Thread | Will it be Dr Jekyll or Mr Hide on All Hallow’s Eve?
at 18:17 30 Oct 2026
I’m starting to feel like a stuck record at the moment – dreadful at Newport, much improved against Exeter and Chesterfield and back to dreadful at Northampton on Saturday. Danny’s post-Northampton reaction was refreshingly honest, he knows it wasn’t good enough, and I’m sure the squad know it too. Let’s hope we see a reaction tomorrow, because right now we’re only out of the relegation zone on goal difference.
I’m certain on paper we’re at least a solid midtable side, with an outside chance of a play-off place, but that means nothing if we don’t start picking up some points. Given we’re still unbeaten at home, five of our next six games at the JobServe (including Worcester in the FA Cup and Ipswich kids in the EFL Trophy) does offer a glimmer of hope that we could be in a much better position by the time December arrives, but not if we continue to play like Saturday.
Tomorrow’s opponents Walsall haven’t quite had the meteoric start that they managed last season, but they’re still in the play-offs despite losing heavily at home on Monday evening against this season’s current runaway leaders Salford City. Given their away form (W1 D5 L0) is nearly as good as our home form is a bit of a reality-check, so if we are going to kick-start our faltering season, tomorrow will not be an easy place to start.
Form is temporary…
Goals – it’s not rocket science. In the last ten league games we’ve only scored seven goals – only Port Vale (on six) are worse, but they’ve won three of those ten games (yes, by 1-0). During the week Chiwome smashed in a hat-trick for the U21’s against QPR, with Kaion Lisbie getting the other two. Is it time for Chiwome to return to at least the bench tomorrow? More importantly, is it time for Bradley to forego his starting position for others? Personally, I think so – Jaden Williams did at least have an impact on Saturday, and although Lubala was a bit of handful at times, Connolly didn’t do too bad either (relative to the overall dismal performance of course).
Played for both
I don’t think there are any players in either squad who have played for the other team at present, but there have been plenty over the years. Notable names include Carl Emberson, Jabo Ibhere, Mark Kinsella, Clive Platt and another of my boyhood heroes Bobby Gough, but the name I’m going to focus on is of course Roy McDonough.
Big Roy was originally on the books at Aston Villa, but in true Roy style, he wasn’t offered a contract by then manager Ron Saunders after trying to throttle the referee in the final of the Birmingham Schools Cup. Using family connections to get a trial, he eventually signed for Birmingham in 1976, and two years later ended up at Walsall for the first really successful part of his career.
Catching the eye of Chelsea during his time at Walsall, he spent a season at Stamford Bridge without making a league appearance, and left for the U’s in 1981, for what was to be the next notable part of his career. Two years later he was off to Roots Hall, then Exeter, Cambridge, back to Southend and then finally back to U’s as we slipped into the Conference. A year later, as player-manager, Big Roy lead the U’s back into the Football League, winning the FA Trophy in the process, and giving Martin O’Neill more sleepless nights than hot dinners.
He finished his career with 22 red cards to his name, 13 in the football league (a record he shares with Steve Walsh), and a well-deserved reputation as a heavy-drinking womanising hard man – but didn’t we just love him!
Head to head
To date, we’ve played Walsall 79 times in the league (W27 D25 L27) and just the once in an Associate Members Cup at Fellows Park back in 1985, which we lost 1-0.
Games to remember: Without doubt our most memorable victory over Walsall was under Parky, when the Saddlers lost 5-0 at Layer Road, with goals from Craig Fagan (2), Gavin Johnson, Geraint Williams and Stephen Hunt. What’s more remarkable was that we were 4-0 up at half-time.
Games to forget: There’s really only one game in the modern era to mention here, the 4-0 battering at the Bescot in September 2024, when Danny was just 31 games into his tenure as manager – that one hurt.
The other match worth mentioning was in October 2015 at the Jobserve under Tony Humes. Sawyers and Lalkovic gave the Saddlers a first half 2-0 lead. Moncur and Sordell levelled the game within seven minutes of the second half starting, Evans restored the lead for Walsall, almost immediately cancelled out by Garvan. When Ambrose made it 4-3 to the U’s with ten minutes to go, we all thought we’d done it, only for O’Connor to equalise in added time.
Line-up
If it were down to me, I’d make some changes tomorrow. Bradley to the bench for certain, and recall Chiwome back into the squad as well (also benched to start with). Thorn keeps his place, he didn’t do too bad out on the right wing on Saturday. Connolly comes in for Lubala, Payne for Jay Williams and KVY for Hunt. If Anderson is fit than he’d get the nod ahead of Connolly as far as I’m concerned.
Lo-TutalaVincent-YoungTuckerTerryIandoloPaynePerryThornSesayConnollyWilliams (Jaden) Substitutes: Ihionvien Digby Kuffour Williams (Jay) Raggett Hunt Chiwome
Walsall will be looking to bounce back after losing so badly at home to Salford, and they are a very difficult side to break down away from home, so it’s going to be very tight tomorrow. Given we just need points right now, I’m going to go for an ill-deserved 1-0 with the goal coming in injury time off the arse of Bradley as Ward tries to clear a goalmouth scramble.
Weather watch
Compared to last Saturday as the storm rolled in, tomorrow will be positively autumnal. A dry, albeit chilly day, temperature around 13-14 degrees and a light breeze from the east. Not exactly shirt sleeves, but perfect for anyone heading out trick or treating as darkness descends post-match.
Up the U’s! [Post edited 31 Oct 9:22]
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Reply | Saturday at Sixfields - will it be a load of cobblers, or eagles soaring?
at 09:31 25 Oct 2026
I suggested turned a corner in the preview. On reflection, it was more like a full u-turn into a dead end. I just don’t know what’s going on. Individually they all clearly have talent, but collectively it’s just not clicking. I lost count of the number of missed passes yesterday, many in situations where we’d have had the chance to get in around the back of a distinctly average Northampton. I missed his substitution, did Bradley storm off in a huff? Not a good look if so. As before, when the team aren’t performing on the pitch, the anti-Cowling mob float to the surface, and it wasn’t just inebriated teenagers this time.
I don’t want to think it, but how much of our current plight do we lay at the feet of Danny and Nicky? |
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Thread | Saturday at Sixfields - will it be a load of cobblers, or eagles soaring?
at 12:59 23 Oct 2026
After the dismal display at Newport, dare I say it, the U’s seem to have turned a corner, with very credible draws ground out against a very resolute drilled defensive display from Exeter, and arguably our best performance of the season so far at high-flying Chesterfield. I’m not making a connection here, but both games were without two of our key first teamers in Jack Payne and Harry Anderson. I have no knowledge of the extent of their injuries, but in the absence of anything obviously traumatic happening on the pitch, I hope they are just knocks and niggles – we’ll need them back before too long.
Their absence has given the opportunity for others to force themselves into Danny’s thinking, and by and large they have taken those opportunities. I’m particularly thinking here of Jay Williams and Paul Digby, but Rob Hunt operating further forward was also very effective on Tuesday night. I think we’re also seeing the experiment of playing Oscar in the middle is a thing of the past, showing what he can do from out wide providing a peach of an assist for Ben Perry (in his first league start since his injury) to power home our deserved equaliser at Chesterfield.
Tomorrow’s opponents Northampton Town, as with most of the sides relegated from League 1 last season, have struggled to adapt back to League 2 football. Northampton are in the relegation zone, Rotherham just one point and one place above them, and Port Vale in 20th position, below the U’s on goal difference. I don’t honestly expect any of them to be at risk of relegation at the end of the season, but for now points on the board is going to be the priority. During the week Tranmere took all three points at Sixfields, in a game dominated by Northampton in terms of possession and chances, to give the Superwhites their first away win of the season. Could lightning strike twice at Sixfields for the U’s tomorrow?
Form is temporary…
If a pattern is emerging, at least we can say the U’s are starting to prove we’re hard to beat, with five draws in the last six, with only the Newport horror show blemishing that record. Without banging on about it relentlessly, we’re just a decent striker with confidence away from turning those draws into wins. To be fair to Bradley, I thought he had a very good game on Tuesday, and really should have scored in the second half. Even Chiwome, who replaced him with minutes to go, grazed the bar with an effort that could have won the game for the U’s. Good to see Danny back in the thick of the action too…
Played for both
Given the relative proximity, it is of no surprise to see that the played for both list is particularly long where Northampton is concerned, no Jamie Cureton this time, but Guy ‘more clubs than Tiger’ Branston is there. Of our current squad, I think only Ben Perry and Bez Lubala have also played for Northampton, and provided he’s recovered from a swollen knee that forced him to miss out Chesterfield, Bez may well feature along with Ben at some point tomorrow.
On the books at Blackpool at the time, Bez was on loan at Northampton for the 2021/22 season, before joining the U’s for his first spell on another loan in 2022/23. Ben Perry’s journey is much more straightforward. On the books at Nottingham Forest, he spent most of the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Northampton. I’m not certain whether Northampton had any interest, but in the summer of 2025 the U’s paid an undisclosed fee for Ben, only to then see him miss virtually the entire 2025/26 season through injury.
However, the player I’m going to highlight, and for one very specific reason, is Scott McGleish, a legend at both Colchester and Northampton. For this I go back to Tuesday 20th January 2004 for our EFL Trophy Southern Region semi-final at Sixfields. We were there in numbers, and vocal with it, but the game wasn’t really going our way. This was mainly down to Richard Walker, who put the Cobblers into the lead on 14 minutes, and not helped by Martin Smith giving a youthful Greg Halford at right back an absolute torrid time. So much so that Parky had to sub him just after the half-hour mark, before the Geneva Convention was forced to intercede.
Walker was still a handful though, and giving Northampton a two goal cushion early in the second half, even the faithful were realistically thinking our cup run was probably coming to an end. Scott had other ideas and pulled one back on the hour, and with less than five minutes to go scored the equaliser to take the match into ‘Silver Goal’ extra-time. The U’s were rampant, and in the 96th minute an excellent Rowan Vine cross was met again by the head of Scott McGleish to give the U’s a 3-2 lead. We held on until the end of the first period, which by Silver Goals rules, gave us the victory, and the away end went berserk.
As mentioned, there are plenty of other notable names on the list, including Jason Dozzell, Steve McGavin, and Chuck Norris, but it would be wrong of me not to highlight one of my childhood heroes, John Froggatt.
Head to head
To date, we’ve played Northampton Town 69 times in the league (W26, D13, L30) and 12 times in various cup competitions (W4, D1, L7), including that night at Sixfields. However, as I’m making the early trip tomorrow morning, and my personal record is won three and drawn one, let’s hope I can maintain that record of never seeing us lose against the Cobblers.
Games to remember: Other than the EFL Trophy game, probably the most memorable was another in my archive, our 4-0 victory at Sixfields under John McGreal back in February 2019. We even had the luxury of Harry Pell missing a late penalty for a bonus fifth goal. Back in the day we’ve had multiple 4-1 and 5-1 victories, all at Layer Road.
Games to forget: In our inaugural season in Division Three (South) in 1951 Jimmy Allen’s U’s were comprehensively battered 2-5 at Layer Road. There were a number of heavy defeats at the old County Ground over the years, including a 6-1, 5-0, 4-0 and 4-1, but the only time we’ve really been put to the sword at Sixfields was under Steve Whitton in September 2002, when we were soundly beaten 4-1.
Line-up
Whether or not Jack or Harry are available, I have a feeling Danny will keep faith with the starting XI from Chesterfield. He’ll want to keep Perry wrapped in cotton wool for as long as possible, but I would expect to see him come on in the second half. Bradley is just a goal or two away from being the striker we know he can be, but again I’d expect to see Chiwome feature as well at some point, and perhaps a bit longer than his brief cameo at the end on Tuesday night.
Lo-TutalaVincent-YoungTuckerTerryIandoloWilliams (Jay)HuntSesayDigbyWilliams (Jaden)Ihionvien Substitutes: Chiwome Connolly Harvey Kuffour Perry Raggett Thorn
Another tough game approaches, and it won’t be helped by the weather either. Northampton’s stop-start season so far will eventually settle into some sort of consistency, and it’s probably a tough ask to expect them to lose consecutive home games on the bounce. However, surely we’ve got to start hitting the back of the net from more of the chances we’re creating before too long? My head says another draw will be a good result, but my heart says a 3-1 win for the U’s, with a brace from Bradley.
Weather watch
This will be the great equaliser tomorrow, with Storm Boelo scheduled to arrive in force early afternoon, bringing heavy rain and winds from the south-south-west gusting at over 40+ mph and a chilly 9 degrees in the wind. It is of course touch and go whether the game survives the weather, but if it does, it will likely be by virtue of the early 1230 kick-off.
Up the U’s! |
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Reply | Unlucky for some ( one ).
at 06:27 22 Oct 2026
I’m in two minds on this, but I think there might be a chance we’re one of the televised games. You’d think Plymouth Argyle v Alvechurch would be one (and also solve the problem of Plymouth Parkway also at home), and Cray Wanderers at home to League 1 leaders Stockport another. Given our recent FA Cup record, the schedulers might sense an upset? |
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Reply | Unlucky for some ( one ).
at 22:05 20 Oct 2026
7th tier Worcester City it is then. Got banana skin written all over it if Danny doesn't take it seriously enough. |
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Reply | Colchester United looking for an inspired victory against The Spireites
at 21:59 20 Oct 2026
I actually enjoyed that. Proper backs to the wall last-ditch defending in the first half, and we could have been out of sight, but second half we were so much better. Deserved the equaliser, and we could have won it late on, but still an excellent point overall. Delighted for Perry too, it gives hope for the future. |
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Reply | Unlucky for some ( one ).
at 12:03 20 Oct 2026
A replay would be a very unlikely event indeed, given it'll be extra time and straight to penalties if needed. |
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