2012–13 Colchester United F.C. season

Shirt and sponsorship

For the 2012–13 season, the U's marked their 75th anniversary with special home kit. The shirt was coloured in the usual blue and white stripes, however it did not have a main sponsorship logo, as the club looked to promote local businesses on a game-by-game basis and to reflect on the club's early days without a sponsor. Below is a list of home strip sponsors from the season:

Pre-season

Colchester United got their pre-season off to a convincing start with a comfortable 6–0 win over non-league outfit Heybridge Swifts. Ian Henderson and Freddie Sears both scored twice in a one-sided first half. Substitute Tosin Olufemi also scored twice in the second half, as Colchester claimed a comfortable victory. In their second pre-season friendly which took place during a training camp in the Netherlands, United ran out 3–2 winners over a youthful Vitesse Arnhem side, with goals from Freddie Ladapo, Marcus Bean and Freddie Sears giving the U's their second successive pre-season win. The game also saw defender Magnus Okuonghae play the first 45 minutes of the match, having re-signed for the U's the previous weekend after briefly leaving the club following the expiration of his contract. A crowd of nearly 8,000 at the Weston Homes Community Stadium saw Premier League new boys West Ham United defeat Colchester 2–1, with Anthony Wordsworth scoring the goal for the home side. A youthful Colchester United XI were defeated 4–1 by Witham Town, with two goals apiece from Jason Fontaine and Billy Hunt, with then-trialist Jackson Ramm scoring Colchester's consolation goal. Colchester won 2–1 at Maldon & Tiptree courtesy of goals from Freddie Sears, his fourth of pre-season, and Drey Wright. Maldon pulled a goal back through substitute Mitchell Das in the 73rd minute. The following day, Colchester won at Brentwood Town 2–1, coming from behind to win with goals from John-Joe O'Toole and Freddie Ladapo. Freddie Sears scored a brace against Championship opposition Derby County in a 2–2 draw, with Magnus Okuonghae scoring an unfortunate own goal and Theo Robinson scoring an equaliser for the Rams with the last kick of the game. Ipswich Town defeated Colchester 2–1 following two first half goals from Michael Chopra, but the far from full strength U's were allowed back into the game with Clinton Morrison's first goal for the club after 55 minutes. Colchester completed their pre-season with a 1–0 win at Conference North side Bishop's Stortford, Drey Wright’s fine individual goal scored in the 18th minute proving the difference between the two sides at Woodside Park.

August

Colchester United kicked off their season with a gutsy goalless draw at Preston on 18 August. Mark Cousins made a string of excellent saves to preserve a point, the U’s improving in the second period, enjoying long stints of possession, but without threatening a winner. U’s boss John Ward handed a debut to summer signing Marcus Bean, and Clinton Morrison made his league debut for the club. The first home tie of the season ended as a 2–2 draw in an entertaining game with Portsmouth on 21 August, with a first U's goal for Michael Rose. Magnus Okuonghae scored the other goal for the U's as Jordan Obita sealed a draw for the away team with a late strike. Ex-Sheffield Wednesday striker Clinton Morrison struck an equaliser, his first goal for the club, in a 1–1 draw against Sheffield United with what was the U’s first shot on target, in the 73rd minute, to secure a third successive draw for the U's.

September

Colchester slumped to their first defeat of the season on 1 September with a 4–0 defeat at Tranmere Rovers, with Jake Cassidy scoring a hat-trick. A 1–0 defeat at Brentford consigned the U's to their worst league start since 1996, conceding an 88th-minute goal. Colchester were bottom of the table after six games and no wins on 15 September after a 2–1 home defeat against Doncaster Rovers. Colchester drew following a late Anthony Wordsworth penalty 1–1 at home to Crawley to lift them from the bottom of the table on 18 September. The U's succumbed to their worst ever start to a league season with a 1–0 loss at Scunthorpe United on 22 September. On 24 September 2012, following a winless start to the season and with the club sitting 22nd in the League One table, John Ward was sacked as Colchester manager having spent two years in charge. Assistant manager Joe Dunne was appointed caretaker manager. On 27 September, Dunne was appointed full-time manager, assigning Mark Kinsella as his assistant. Colchester gained their first win of the season in Joe Dunne's first game in charge with a 3–1 home win over Hartlepool United, with two debut goals for loan-signing Jabo Ibehre and an equalising goal from Gavin Massey.

October

On 2 October 2012, Colchester won away at Swindon Town 1–0 courtesy of a Michael Rose free-kick against his former club. On 6 October, following their League Cup exit away at Yeovil in August, the U's were again defeated at Huish Park, on this occasion 3–1 with Jabo Ibehre scoring for Colchester, which was Joe Dunne's first defeat as Colchester manager. Loanee Sanchez Watt scored his first goal for Colchester in a 1–0 home victory over Stevenage to end their unbeaten start to the league season on 13 October. Colchester made it four league wins in five games under Joe Dunne on 20 October in a 2–0 home win over Carlisle United, with goals coming from loanees Craig Eastmond and another from Ibehre. The U's secured their fifth win in six league games with a 2–0 away defeat of Leyton Orient, with goals from Anthony Wordsworth and Ian Henderson on 23 October. The U's let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2–2 away at Shrewsbury on 27 October, with both goals coming from Arsenal loanees Eastmond and Watt.

November

On 6 November, Colchester were defeated 2–0 at home to Notts County. The U's then suffered their third defeat in as many games with a 3–2 loss at Crewe. Colchester surrendered their lead in the second half having been 2–0 up at half-time thanks to goals from Freddie Sears and Ian Henderson. The team bounced back from this defeat with a 2–0 victory over Bury at home with second-half goals from Wordsworth and Sears. The U's then lost 3–1 at home to Coventry City in a controversial match. Tom Eastman scored Colchester's only goal of the game. Following this, Colchester suffered second defeat in a row at the hands of MK Dons with a score of 5–1, Ian Henderson scoring the U's consolation goal.

December

Following a two-week break thanks to an early FA Cup exit, the U's fell to their fifth defeat in six games with a home loss to Oldham Athletic, Brian Wilson scoring an unfortunate own-goal, the final score was 2–0. Bournemouth defeated Colchester 1–0 on 15 December leaving the club two points above the relegation zone. Colchester were consigned to their fifth consecutive league defeat away at Walsall on 22 December with another 1–0 defeat. A further defeat followed at home against high-flying Brentford, but despite the loss a youthful U's put in a promising display and featured a first goal from Drey Wright on his first league start for the U's.

January

With the home tie against Swindon scheduled for 28 December postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, Colchester's next game came against Crawley on New Year's Day. The game ended in a 3–0 away defeat for the U's, which gave Crawley their first home win in nine weeks. Colchester equalled their longest ever losing run on 5 January with a 1–0 defeat away at Doncaster, Josh Thompson having a goal ruled after an infringement by another player. One week later, Colchester set the unwanted club record of nine consecutive defeats with a 2–1 home defeat against fellow strugglers Scunthorpe United, leaving the U's in the relegation positions and manager Joe Dunne considering his position as manager of the club. Colchester's trip to Hartlepool scheduled for 19 January was postponed due to heavy snow, with the U's next game coming on 26 January at home to Walsall. Colchester won 2–0 with goals from coming from Jabo Ibehre on his second debut for the club and Freddie Sears. This was Colchester's first win in ten games that ended a club record nine consecutive defeats. The club sold youth-team product Anthony Wordsworth to neighbours Ipswich Town for a fee of £100,000, possibly rising to £200,000, on 30 January.

February

The U's began February with a 3–2 win against fellow strugglers Portsmouth on 2 February, with Gavin Massey scoring a brace and Freddie Sears from the penalty spot to earn Colchester their first away win since October. The side then suffered a 1–0 home defeat in the rescheduled game against Swindon Town, leaving Colchester just two points above the relegation zone. However, Colchester earned three wins in four with victory at home over Preston on 9 February, with Freddie Sears again providing the U's goal. A heavy 3–0 away defeat by Sheffield United left the U's again in 20th position, just hovering above the relegation zone on 16 February. On 23 February, Colchester were trounced 5–1 at home to Tranmere Rovers, with Magnus Okuonghae scoring the only goal for United. This result left the club three points adrift from safety, but with one game in-hand over Scunthorpe United in 20th position. A win against high-flying Yeovil rounded off February, helping to make amends for earlier league and League Cup defeats against the Glovers. The game was won 2–0 courtesy of a long range strike from Billy Clifford, his first professional goal, and another from Freddie Sears.

March

Colchester made it two wins for the season over Stevenage on 2 March with a 2–0 away win, piling the misery on Boro who had before the match lost five matches on the bounce. The goals both came from Jabo Ibehre, his first since he scored on second debut for the club. The result lifted the U's out of the relegation zone. Man of the moment Ibehre was then sent off in the following match against relegation-threatened rivals Hartlepool, as the 10-man U's battled to a 0–0 draw at Victoria Park. Following this came defeat at home to Crewe 2–1, George Porter providing the United goal. With Colchester's relegation-rivals all losing, the club remained in 19th position in the League One table. The U's let a two-goal lead slip at Coventry on 12 March, having taken the lead through Gavin Massey and loanee Michael Smith doubling the advantage after half time. The game finished 2–2, with Coventry clawing the game back with goals in the 77th minute and injury time. Colchester then started off their away game against Bury in the worst possible fashion with George Porter dismissed for violent conduct in only the fourth minute of the game, and then going behind to a Craig Fagan goal, a former U's player. Colchester then took the initiative, scoring in the 30th and 31st minutes through Josh Thompson and Clinton Morrison to hold out for a 2–1 scoreline, moving the team seven points away from the relegation zone. Good Friday yielded a 1–0 home defeat for Colchester against Bournemouth, leaving the U's just three points above the relegation positions with six games remaining.

April

A match with relegation rivals Oldham Athletic was played on 1 April, resulting in a 1–1 draw. Drey Wright scored his second professional goal for the club in the first half, before Oldham equalised midway through the second half. A win for the home side would have leapfrogged Oldham over Colchester in the League One table. A vital 2–1 win over Leyton Orient on 6 April moved Colchester six points above the relegation zone, with Scunthorpe and Oldham both failing to win. Goals came courtesy of Gavin Massey and for the second match in succession, Drey Wright. Orient pulled a goal back from United old boy Kevin Lisbie, who also had a penalty saved by Sam Walker with 12 minutes remaining. A 3–1 defeat away to Notts County reduced the gap to the relegation positions on 13 April, the U's goal provided by Ibehre. A second defeat on the bounce, a 2–0 home defeat by MK Dons, threatened to reduce the club's advantage over Scunthorpe in the relegation battle, but with Scunthorpe losing to already-relegated Bury, the U's maintained their five-point advantage, requiring a win from their next two games to guarantee safety. A lacklustre 0–0 draw with Shrewsbury in the final home game of the season, coupled with a win for Scunthorpe over MK Dons meant that the relegation battle would go to the last day of the season with the teams separated by three points. Anything but a win for Scunthorpe over Swindon would spell relegation for the club, where a Scunthorpe loss or draw or any points claimed for the U's at Carlisle would also result in relegation for Scunthorpe. With the future of the club to be decided on the final day of the season, it was imperative that Colchester got at least a point from their away game at Carlisle to guarantee safety, and goals from Gavin Massey and Tom Eastman secured another season in League One in a 2–0 victory, with Scunthorpe relegated from the league despite winning at Swindon.

League Cup

Colchester bowed out of the League Cup with a 3–0 defeat at Yeovil. A first half double from Richard Hinds was added to in the second half by sub Keanu Marsh-Brown. The match saw the first-team debuts of Drey Wright and Clinton Morrison, with Mark Cousins also making decent saves to prevent the Glovers adding to their tally in his first appearance as first-choice goalkeeper.

League Trophy

Colchester received a bye in the first round of the trophy, and so faced former manager Aidy Boothroyd's Northampton Town in the second round. With the U's leading 1–0 at half time courtesy of a Freddie Sears goal, young debutant Alex Gilbey gave away a penalty from which Northampton scored, with a second goal coming two minutes later for Town, with a final score of 2–1.

FA Cup

The U's were drawn away to Essex rivals Chelmsford City in the first round of the FA Cup. It was the first encounter between the two sides in 44 years since an FA Cup second round tie in January 1968. Chelmsford won on this occasion 3–1 courtesy of two goals from Donovan Simmonds and a late goal from Jamie Slabber to seal the win, with Colchester's solitary goal coming from Michael Rose.

Squad

Source:

First team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Development squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Youth team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

League One results round by round

Last updated: 28 April 2013.
Source:
Ground: A = Away; H = Home. Result: D = Draw; L = Loss; W = Win; P = Postponed.

  Win   Draw   Loss

Appearances and goals

Source:

Player debuts

Players making their first-team Colchester United debut in a fully competitive match.