Colchester United boss Danny Cowley has got plenty of decisions to make both for his starting line-up against Tranmere Rovers on Easter Monday, but also for his team for the rest of the season.
It is however a good sort of headache for the U’s boss, with plenty of players currently to choose from, quite of few of those impressing as of late. Since the Cowley brothers came in, there have been improvements at the club from a consistency viewpoint but they are still battling for their EFL status and perhaps haven’t kicked on as much as expected.
That being said, the club picked up a huge win on Good Friday as they beat play-off chasers Newport County 2-1 at home. It was a vital result for Colchester, due to the fact that Sutton United below them also won. Had the Essex outfit not picked up three points on Friday, then they’d be sat in the relegation zone.
Currently with just a one point advantage over 23rd placed Sutton, nerves will no doubt now be kicking in amongst the fanbase. Fortunately, they do have three games in hand over the side directly below them, but that doesn’t by any means mean that they are safe just yet.
Plenty of confidence can be taken from the win over Newport, and that could help their chances against Tranmere. With multiple players coming off of the bench and impressing in that victory over the Exiles, it is somewhat of an unknown what the U’s starting line-up will be.
Substitute Ellis Iandolo would get the U’s first the other day which would kickstart their late comeback, but he is not the only player who impressed off of the bench.
Speaking to the Colchester Gazette, Cowley wanted to emphasise that the focus was on the club rather than the teams around them.
“It’s been a good Easter to this point but we can make it a brilliant Easter (with a win against Tranmere). For us, the focus and concentration is on what we do.
“We’ve had 12 games now and we’ve taken points in ten. We’ve been really consistent for quite a period of time.”
When asked about his substitutes during the victory over Newport, Cowley wanted to praise youngster Samson Tovide.
“We were hoping that we would have Samson from the start (against Newport) but he hadn’t trained until the day before the game, we had to protect him.
“He’s such an infectious character and his personality alone just lifts the whole stadium. He fights for everything and when your number nine plays with that tenacity and energy and enthusiasm, it’s so infectious.”
Goal scorers Iandolo was also mentioned, with Cowley looking to further attack from set pieces.
“It was good to score from a set piece. I think we’re top of the set piece expected goals, which means absolutely nothing unless you actually score the goals, for us to actually score from a corner was really, really good.”
“We used Cam (McGeehan) for a certain inswinging corner and we changed that in that moment. It was a great delivery from Cam and a good finish by Ellis (Iandolo) at the back post.”
Writer’s View
It was a huge come-from-behind victory for the U’s on Friday and one which keeps them outside of the relegation zone. With their games in hand, they’re in a strong position to preserve their League Two status, but Sutton will be looking to push them all the way.
It’s a good problem to have for Cowley, with multiple players impressing off of the bench on Friday and that will no doubt impact Monday’s selection. Three points would go a long way, and the confidence gained from their victory over Newport will certainly aid their cause.
Senior Editor
