Colchester United midfielder Noah Chilvers eager to impress

The 22-year-old has proved his worth since making his senior debut for the U’s back in 2019, making 184 first-team appearances and landing the club’s Player of the Season award, in 2021.

But he has been the target of boo boys at times this season and the U’s academy product feels the treatment he has received by some sections of the fanbase has at times been ‘over the top’.

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Colchester’s fans were singing Chilvers’ name at the JobServe Community Stadium at the weekend, both before and after he netted a superb goal in their 1-1 draw with Accrington Stanley.

The talented midfielder was man of the match for the second successive week and has vowed to produce similarly influential performances for the U’s, between now and the end of the season.

Chilvers said: “Football is a game of opinions, at the end of the day and they’re entitled to theirs.

“I think it’s been over the top at times but they showed me the support (against Accrington) and I saw a little flag with my face on it, so little things like that are nice.

“I take it as a bit of a back-handed compliment that they obviously expect a lot from me which I do myself and I’m my own harshest critic, at times.

“What I’ll try and do for the next 15 games is to give them what they expect, with performances and goals like (against Accrington).

“The only thing you can do is keep going and doing what I know will bring me success and keep doing what I do during the week, work as hard as anyone else, harder than anyone else and keep playing as well as I can.

“That’s what I’m going to keep doing, through highs and lows – don’t change anything and keep working.”

Chilvers has flourished playing in a deeper role for Colchester in their last two games.

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The U’s vice-captain feels it gives him more licence to advance forward and make an impact, as shown for his fine goal against Accrington.

“The gaffer has been on at me for the past couple of weeks when I’ve been playing in that deeper role to get us on the ball and that’s what I’ve tried to do,” said Chilvers, who has been at Colchester since he was nine years old.

“I enjoy playing a bit deeper, because I think you’ve got more licence to be the one that gets on the ball and makes things happen instead of maybe waiting higher up for supply.

“I’ve really enjoyed it and I’m happy to play anywhere – since the manager’s come in, I’ve played left, right and now deep and I’m happy and comfortably playing anywhere and just try and do as good a job as I can, for the team wherever I play.

“One of my strengths I think when playing in a deeper role is to pick it up deeper and drive forward with it, like I did for the goal.

“It felt sweet and I knew it was in from when I hit it.

“It was a bit of relief; I had a good strike last week (at Harrogate) that was well saved and I think it’s been coming.

“I had a few chances here last time which I maybe should have done better with, so I’m really happy with the goal and hopefully, there’s more to come before the end of the season.”

Colchester looked like they were heading for a vital win over Accrington, after Chilvers gave them the lead just before half-time.

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However, a Riley Harbottle own goal rescued a point for the visitors, who played for nearly half the game with only ten men after Brad Hills was sent off.

Chilvers added: “We needed to press home our advantage.

“We were comfortably the better side in the first half so we can’t rely on a moment of madness, for the goal.

“Riley played a really good game and has looked really good since he’s come in – it was a little mistake and these things happen but it shouldn’t be down to that, we should win the game comfortably.

“Mentally, with ten men it gives them something to cling onto and a 1-0 scoreline for them is beautiful, as all they need is a moment, a moment of madness that we’ve given them.

“Maybe mentally we took our foot off the gas which we’ve got to try and fight to avoid.

“We were sloppy and we gave away fouls which were really their only route back into the game.”