The Official Colchester United Match Thread (Sponsored by Monday night football "for all your post-Christmas, pre-New Year needs")

With leftover turkey and ham being lobbed into pies and curries as we speak, the festive football calendar continues under the lights at Priestfield this evening as we entertain Colchester and seek our first win after eight games without and just one from the last 13. Unlucky for some.

Last time out we were (eventually) the better side against Neil Harris' Cambridge side, his age old tactic of taking a lead and then sitting on it rather than looking to kill the game backfiring upon our introduction of Bradley Dack, the latter's ability to dictate a game in clear evidence. From that point we camped in the Cambridge half, without too much in the way of clear cut opportunity to win the game, although had we ended up with three points there could have been little complaint. However, we didn't win, yet again, with the resulting high praise dished out post-match by GA lacking conviction based as it was on a mere 20 minute spell where we actually looked quite decent.

Our opponents today will provide as tough a fixture as they did just 23 days ago, both sides slugging their way to a vaguely entertaining 0-0 in Essex. Since that fixture, Danny Cowley's side have blown a lead to lose a seven-goal thriller late on away at high fliers Salford, thumped divisional whipping boys Newport 4-1 at home and took a point away at Crawley on Boxing Day, all of which leaves them a point and two places above us in 10th. We nullified their pacy forward threat at the start of December and offered some attacking ambition of our own, although not sufficient to trouble the scoreboard.

The busy schedule and questionable fitness of some of our players will likely see a rotation of the starting XI tonight. The footballing brains of Bradley Dack could well start from the off, Josh Andrews return was welcomed, whether he's fit enough to start again in such a short space of time remains to be seen. McCleary and Morris are definitely out, Masterson made the bench against Cambridge but it would be surprise to seem him named among the starters tonight, although less of a shock than the allegedly fit again Euan Williams being named even on the bench. Defensive options include Ogie and Akomeah, while Marcus Wyllie is also back in contention.

The head to head has Colchester leading by 40 wins to Gills’ 38, with 33 draws. Our recent record against the Essexian oiks at Priestfield is predictably dire, just one home win from the last 12 fixtures dating back some 20 years, they're definitely a side we owe a proper beating. If we're hunting for positive omens, we haven't lost a fixture on this date at home for over 100 years (a total of 11 fixtures) and despite the many, many festive fixtures between Gills and Col Ewe, there has never been one on this specific date. For the highlights, it's back to 1993-94 and goals from Richard Green, Nicky Forster and Robbie Reinelt giving us a comfortable 3-0 win in front of a sub-4000 crowd.

The Rainham End ticket barometer shows just 14 seats remaining, similar to the Cambridge match. However, there must have been more than a few season ticket holders who preferred to stay away on Boxing Day given the swathes of empty blue seats on display. Colchester might become the second team in succession to bring sufficient to warrant the opening of the BMS, hopefully their evening will be as uncomfortable as their accommodation.

The excuses for our continuing poor form are beginning to wear thin as we reach the half-way point of the season. We don't appear to have the quality as a collective to mount a concerted push for the playoffs. Individually, we have some decent players, but as with last few seasons there's rarely a cohesive unit on display, we can't even manage two consistently good halves let alone consistently good games. Hopes for a push up the table towards the playoffs may hinge on whatever business can be done in the January transfer window, a time that generally offers poor value for money with more misses than hits. Given our next two fixtures are away at high fliers Swine and Notts County, an upturn in fortune could do with starting today.

No tellybox (thankfully given our record on it) for tonight, so it's Peter Lloyd and the Screecher to accompany the turkey and ham pie being served up by my parents as they seek to get shot of all their Christmas leftovers via the human dustbins that are the Juniors.

Enjoy the game, and...

COYG!!!