There is something missing from Colchester United's make-up!

It's hard to put one's finger on what it is, apart from the obvious -- a proven scorer with a goal-a-game appetite.

The U's football from penalty box to penalty box is as good -- in many cases better -- than more successful teams in the Second Division.

But the final ball is more often than not sadly lacking -- ten games without a goal in 21 League and cup outings this term is testament to that.

Meanwhile, at the other end, the U's defence nearly always suffers at least one costly lapse -- only 12 clean sheets in 71 League and cup games over the past two seasons is proof of that shortcoming.

That said, the U's are only just short of being a really good team. Their tactics look right; their skill level is high and I'm sure their commitment is top class.

But for some reason manager Steve Whitton has yet to instil the vital missing ingredient that will propel his Layer Road nearly men into a winning combination.

Take this game with injury-hit promotion chasers Northampton for instance.

The U's enjoyed the lion's share of possession throughout, yet failed to apply the killer touch to so many promising attacks, while twice letting in the Cobblers strikers at the other end.

Northampton, boasting four wins in an undefeated seven trips on the road, added another scalp to their impressive haul thanks to goals in each half from leading marksman Jamie Forrester and giant striker Steve Howard.

The U's went into the game with injury-plagued Andy Arnott, making his first start since the 5-2 defeat at Cambridge United more than 12 months ago, playing as a makeshift striker in place of big target man Keith Scott who suffered damaged knee ligaments in the 3-1 defeat at Peterborough seven days earlier.

Arnott, whose only other taste of first-team football since last October was a 20-minute cameo appearance as a substitute against Sheffield United in the Worthington Cup tie at Layer Road five weeks ago, shouldered the task well and can in no way be found wanting for the U's scoring inadequacies.

Colchester might well have won this match but for some woeful finishing and great goalkeeping by the Cobblers' Keith Welch.

Welch earned his spurs as early as the sixth minute when he went full-length to turn round a Mick Stockwell shot.

And there were other good efforts from Karl Duguid, Aaron Skelton, David Gregory, Stockwell again and, skipper Simon Clark, whose sizzling 30-yard rising drive was superbly tipped over the bar by the excellent Welch.

The U's also had strong appeals for a penalty turned down when Steve McGavin was felled in the area.

Not to be outdone, Northampton had their chances and only two goal-line clearances by central defender Scott Fitzgerald in the opening half-hour prevented Howard and Forrester from hitting the mark.

As play switched from end to end, Duguid rattled the crossbar with Welch well and truly beaten while only a fingertip save by U's keeper Simon Brown kept out a Howard blockbuster following good work by the much-travelled Marco Gabbiadini.

Northampton eventually broke the deadlock seven minutes before half-time when Forrester repaid part of his £150,000 transfer fee from Dutch club Utrecht by heading home a John Hodge corner kick at the far post for his 11th goal of the season.

Stockwell came within an ace of levelling the scores within two minutes of the second half start, but just failed to get his head on a bullet cross from Duguid.

And minutes later Forrester almost cashed in when Skelton misjudged a long clearence, but Brown stood up well to block the danger.

The Cobblers, however, moved 2-0 ahead on the hour from a close-range Howard header after man-of-the-match Hodge skinned Gavin Johnson inside the U's area.

Fitzgerald appeared to clear Howard's effort, but the referee rightly ruled the ball had crossed the line.

Hodge continued to run riot on the Cobblers right flank as the U's began to lose their way and only two more super saves from Brown denied David Savage from inflicting an even heavier defeat.

There was one late bright note for Colchester as they slipped to a second successive defeat. Youth team striker Dean Morgan was handed his League debut as an 88th minute substitute for Skelton.

Colchester and Northampton players contest the ball in Saturday's Division Two clash.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.