Soccer: U's do best to throw it away

This one, only the fourth at Layer Road since the U's won 5-1 in their initial League meeting back in December 1961, was the First in 32 seasons.

First-half goals from Kemal Izzet, his second this term, and leading marksman Scott McGleish, his sixth, appeared to have put Steve Whitton's in-form squad well and truly in the driving seat.

But the U's did their very best to squander their hard-earned lead after the Latics were reduced to ten men following John Sheridan's 70th minute red card for uttering a few choice words at referee Paul Alcock.

At least they hung on this time to collect all three points.

Unlike their recent trip to Wrexham, where they murdered the home side in a scintillating first half only to struggle painfully for a one-all draw after the Welshmen were reduced to nine men just after half-time.

No-one, not even Whitton, can explain what turns his first half world beaters into second half also rans.

But their sizzling performance in the opening half was worth the entrance money alone.

The U's ran Andy Ritchie's Second Division table-toppers ragged and it came as no surprise when Izzet shot them in front after only ten minutes.

Defender Alan White's powerful header was blocked on the line by the Latics Scott McNiven, but Izzet followed up to ram the loose ball into the net from eight yards.

The visitors' giant central defender Shaun Garnett was stretchered off injured in the goalmouth melee and the surging runs of U's wingbacks Joe Keith and Karl Duguid caused even more panic in the visitors' reaguard.

Colchester were so much on top that a second goal simply had to come and McGleish produced the goods with a brilliant 27th minute header.

Mr Reliable, Mick Stockwell, sent Keith clear along the left flank and McGleish's flashing header from the former West Ham defender's brilliant cross left keeper Gary Kelly rooted to the spot.

So dominant were the U's that keeper Andy Woodman didn't have a real save to make until deep in the second half. At this point, Oldham looked anything but the side that arrived at Layer Road unbeaten since their final day five-goal drubbing by Millwall last season.

But they perked up after McGleish had a header pulled from under the bar by Kelly only to suffer another setback as experienced playmaker John Sheridan was immediately red carded in the 70th minute for foul and abusive language within earshot of referee Alcock.

From a side that never looked like scoring in the opening half, Oldham suddenly threatened to score with every attack and the inevitable happened in the 79th minute when David Eyre's 30-yard free-kick took a wicked deflection off the U's defensive wall and left Woodman completely wrong-footed as the ball rolled into the net.

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