Subterranean Home Form Blues

Updated:

By Pete H

…and so the wait goes on. It’s over three-and-a-half months since Stevenage Football Club last won a League Two match indoors. Christmas, it seems for Cambridge United, is not a time for giving. The U’s took their chances where we did not. In doing so, it ended their even longer wait for a win at the Lamex. But it’s done now, and nothing’s going to change that. So, we move on to the next task at hand during this festive period. It’s another local enough side. It’s another CUFC. And it’s another feckin’ home game.

Colchester United are the guests this time around – and we’re going to assume we can’t take it all back to theirs. After all, who wants to be the host of a bash on New Year’s Eve? It’s much more fun (and less demanding on the cleaning up) to go to someone else’s pad. Nope, we’ve drawn the short straw this year – maybe even more so when you consider our current form at home. So, what do the next lot of U’s have in store for us? Well, we started 2016 with a draw at home – maybe we might end it in a similar way?

 

Stevenage v Colchester United: Home Improvement

First, the bad news. Our head-to-head record against Colchester United is an early stage – but we hope we haven’t started as we mean to continue. Just one of the six meetings so far has gone in our favour. That was the first encounter and, to be fair, we won’t forget it in a hurry – even Jon Ashton was showboating as we won 6-1 at their place in December 2011. The second meeting was a goalless draw that same season and, since then, it’s been a write off. Four defeats, two goals for and 10 against.

You may notice this is the first time since November 2014 that our paths have crossed. That’s because the U’s stuck it out in League One a little while longer until relegation last season. Their form this season is, well, mixed. The Beeb described their Boxing Day win at Luton as “unexpected”. It’s fair enough when you consider their away form isn’t much to admire. Then again, the Essex club has the fourth best defensive record on the road this season – even if their attack ranks as the second worst. Ultimately, they sit above us in the table.

And this is yet another fixture – the fourth on the trot? – against a side around us in the table. The U’s have the leap on us by virtue of goal difference. It’s testament to a run of form that’s left them unbeaten in five matches – including three on the road. We’re no strangers to pulling it out of the bag on New Year’s Eve, however. The last time we played on 31 December was 2011 – beating Wycombe just days after *that* 6-1 game. So, while it wasn’t such a merry Christmas for Boro’, maybe it’ll be a happier new year instead…

 

Stevenage v Colchester United: FIFA 17 Verdict

After the despair of Boxing Day’s result – in both the real and virtual worlds – Boro’ signed off 2016 with three points in our vision of “things to be”. The U’s were strangely rubbish in this one, which made our efforts all the more laboured. An outstanding Jack King effort on the stroke of half time was enough to settle this one. That said, Michael Tonge did do his best to spice things up with a late red card. We weren’t exactly hanging on, but it this wasn’t the finest 1-0 win you’ll ever see on FIFA 17. Not by a long stretch.

BoroGuide’s Colchester United club profile – for the sake of Auld Lang Syne…