Colchester winless in ten after a 3–1 home defeat to Walsall as Cowley blames ‘small margins’
Sunday 1 November 2026 · By Kathleen Hazlewood
Colchester United are winless in ten league games after Walsall scored twice late on to win 3–1 at the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday, a result that ended their unbeaten home league record, according to the Press Association.
Declan Skura gave Walsall a third-minute lead from close range after a corner from Reece Smith was helped on. Colchester levelled in the 35th minute through a Jack Payne penalty, after Elicha Ahui fouled Moses Sesay in the box. Walsall then scored twice late on. Aaron Pressley nodded in Mason Hancock’s cross in the 79th minute, and substitute Connor Clarke netted in the sixth minute of stoppage time, when his shot went in off the crossbar.
Colchester manager Danny Cowley felt that his team did enough to deserve more. “We let a really poor first goal in – it wasn’t the start that we were planning all week,” he said. “We wanted to put a really powerful response together and we let such a soft goal in.”
He praised the reaction. “We had a good place in the game in the first half, we score, it gets disallowed,” Cowley said. “That could have easily stopped us but we kept going and we put a really good move together that culminates in Payney scoring the penalty. We came in at half-time in a good place and we really pushed the game.”
Cowley ended with a familiar theme. “We had lots of chances but it’s small margins for us at the moment and it’s not going for us,” he said.
Walsall manager Lee Grant said his team had shown a “strong mentality”, and that they certainly “weren’t at our best in the first half, much better second”.
The table shows Colchester 23rd on 12 points from 13 games, with two wins, six draws and five defeats. Standing after the weekend’s games, they are in the first relegation place, with a goal difference of minus seven. They are level on points with Oldham and Rotherham, and three points above bottom club Crawley, who have played fewer games.
Away from the pitch, owner and chairman Robbie Cowling has said he still wants to sell the club. The Gazette reported that he told BBC Essex: “I want to move on, I want to sell the club but I’m a custodian and I have to hand the club on in the best possible state I can and that’s what I’m trying to do.” The Gazette said an earlier proposed takeover involving John Terry and Neil Bath did not go ahead. We have not seen any new deal announced.
The fixtures are busy. Colchester host Worcester City in the FA Cup first round on Saturday 7 November at 3pm, and Ipswich Under-21s in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday 10 November at 7:45pm. Gillingham visit in the league on Saturday 14 November at 3pm. The rearranged home game against Port Vale is on Tuesday 15 December at 7:45pm.
The JobServe Community Stadium — still widely called Colchester Community Stadium — sits just off Junction 28 of the A12 at United Way, CO4 5UP. Opened in 2008 to replace cramped Layer Road, it holds 10,105 all-seated spectators. Four covered, single-tier stands wrap a pitch of about 101 by 64 metres. Views are generally unobstructed and the stands are steep enough to keep you close to the action.
Visiting supporters are allocated the North Stand, behind the goal at the northern end. For bigger followings the whole end can take around 2,000; for smaller crowds you may instead be placed in the northern blocks of the East Stand. Seating is often unallocated. Turnstiles for the away end sit behind the North Stand and are easy to reach from the main car park and coach drop-off. The stadium is cashless, so bring a card.
Opposite you is the South Stand, home of Colchester’s loudest support and groups such as the Blue and White Army. Along the west touchline is the main West Stand: tunnel, dugouts, press, club offices, ticket office, shop and 24 executive boxes. The East Stand, facing it, is the family side. Goals sit in front of the North and South stands, so from the away end you look straight down the pitch towards the home singers.
Arrival by car is straightforward from the A12, but matchday parking on site is limited and usually needs booking. Street parking nearby is restricted. Colchester North station is the nearest rail stop; from there it is a taxi or a long walk rather than a short hop. Coaches generally use the dedicated drop-off by the away turnstiles. Allow extra time if you are travelling on a Saturday afternoon when the dual carriageway can clog.
There is little pub choice immediately outside the ground, so many away fans drink on the concourse once inside. Food is typical modern-stadium fare — pies, rolls, burgers and chips — and alcohol is usually sold in the away end unless the fixture is high-risk. Concourses are roomy by lower-league standards and taller supporters often comment on decent leg room. A FanZone operates in front of the West Stand before kick-off, but that is aimed at home supporters.
Tickets almost always come through your own club rather than the Colchester box office. Prices sit in the mid-£20s for adults on a typical League Two visit, with concessions and under-18 rates below that. Check your club’s allocation notes: some games open extra East Stand blocks. A digital programme is often included with the ticket for league matches.
The stadium is tidy, council-owned and purpose-built rather than historic. What it lacks in old-ground character it makes up for in clear sightlines and simple wayfinding. Get in early if you want a seat on the halfway side of the North Stand rather than tight behind the goal. Leave a little extra time after the whistle: one road serves most of the car parks and the A12 slip can back up quickly.
In short: North Stand behind the goal, card only, book parking if you can, and expect a compact, well-kept ground with four similar stands and no hidden pillars. It is an easy away day if you plan the last mile.