New boss Danny Cowley hails Colchester’s commitment after late draw at Swindon

Posted Sunday, January 07, 2024 by PA

Danny Cowley was delighted with his Colchester players’ commitment during their 2-2 draw at Swindon in his first game in charge.

Conor Wilkinson scored an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time as Colchester fought back from 2-0 down to snatch a point.

Cowley said: “First off, the boys really committed against the ball and played with energy and intensity, but we just conceded a really soft penalty.

“You either go under or you stand up and you’re counted, and credit to the players because I thought they showed a huge amount of determination, a real resilience and a lot of fight.

“And we get the goal just before half-time and I think that gives us energy and momentum, and in the second half I actually felt we played much better with the ball.

“We played the game in their half and that’s how we want to play, want to dominate the ball in the opposing half. I was really pleased that we were able to stay in it.”

Swindon were awarded a penalty after just 17 minutes when Udoka Godwin-Malife was hauled to the ground in the box. Charlie Austin stepped up and blasted his shot down the middle to score.

The hosts had a second goal before the break as Austin’s header went into the path of Tom Brewitt, who smashed the ball into the roof of the net from a yard out.

Matt Jay pulled Colchester right back into the game in first-half stoppage time as from a short corner, he met a near post cross and flicked it into the far corner of the net.

Three minutes after the break, Jay fired a low shot beyond Lewis Ward but Liam Kinsella got back and blocked the shot on the line.

With almost the last kick of the game, Ward fluffed a punch and it allowed Wilkinson to turn home on his debut.

Michael Flynn bemoaned his Swindon side’s problem of dropping points from winning positions.

He said: “They are poor from us. We have conceded from two set-plays when we have left players unmarked when they shouldn’t be.

“It is individual errors and if you make individual errors at this level then you are going to get punished and that is exactly what has happened for us today.

“That is two points dropped from us today and being level-headed and, as fair as I can be, that is 13 points dropped from us now this season.

“If you look at the second goal, it starts from a goal kick with two players running into each other and then the man who scores is free on his own when he shouldn’t be.

“It was littered with errors and 30 seconds before it happens then ball has got to go out of play.”