Matt Bloomfield impressed by Colchester’s attacking threat

Posted Sunday, January 08, 2023 by PA

Colchester boss Matt Bloomfield felt his side’s 3-1 victory at Harrogate could have been more comprehensive.

Goals from John Akinde, Noah Chilvers and Junior Tchamadeu put the visitors in command before Luke Armstrong’s consolation as Colcheter made it back-to-back league wins for the first time this season.

Akinde, who was singled out for praise by Bloomfield, was also denied a second goal by an excellent save from Pete Jameson, while Al-Amin Kazeem hit an upright direct from a corner.

Bloomfield said: “There are still bits I want to improve on, but I was really pleased with the result and many aspects of the game.

“We carried a big threat all afternoon. We scored three goals and could have had more, but we also defended with discipline.

“John was brilliant and has been great for us in the last few games. When I came into the building, I told him I didn’t want him to turn into a super-sub, as his career looked like it had the potential to do.

“We then lost him to a hamstring injury for a while, but he’s got lots more miles left in his legs and he’s a real threat.”

Bloomfield also highlighted the contribution of 21-year-old attacker Chilvers, who scored his fourth goal of the season, having been in and out of the side after netting his first three by mid-August.

“Noah’s a great kid and I promised him his chance would come,” Bloomfield said. “He just had to wait for the right time and he did well over the Christmas period.

“He carried this game forward for us and he’s a real shining light for our academy.”

Home boss Simon Weaver saw his side concede three goals to a fellow bottom-six outfit for the second time running following a 3-3 draw at Hartlepool.

He fumed: “I’m not happy at all. I was really disappointed with the standard of defending.

“We gifted them their goals and you have to be devastated with that. I have told the lads that it just wasn’t acceptable.

“You have to dig in to get results and I wouldn’t mind a scruffy 0-0 with this back-line. It was totally not good enough.

“If you get the system wrong as a manager, then you hold your hands up but, whatever system you’re playing, if you can’t deal with a ball straight down the middle of the pitch and don’t win the first or second balls, then you’re in trouble.

“Colchester had a lot of experience in their defence and, because of the two early goals we gave them, it meant they could sit back, and then it becomes difficult.

“You see that even at the top level when teams make the pitch more compact.”