With both sides lacking quality in the final third, it was up to Colchester United’s left back to score the only goal of the game with just ten minutes to go. Thanks to Cohen Bramall's effort, the U's will take a 1-0 lead to St James Park come monday, however with both sides having much more to give, this two legged tie is far from over.  

The Story of the Match

Before the match started, we were met with a stark reminder that there are currently more important things in the world than football, as both sides and the officials clapped for our carers, before then taking a knee to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

The first half went largely as expected, as both sides looked to shake of any rustiness after over 100 days since their last professional fixture. With both sides lacking match sharpness and neither wanting to concede an early goal, defensive stability had clearly been made the priority, with both teams preferring a more direct style of play throughout the first 45.

The first chance came eight minutes in, as Ryan Bowman found himself in a small bit of space from an Exeter corner, however, he was unable to direct his header goalward.

Colchester looked threatening down their right-hand side throughout the first 45, with Frank Nouble producing a neat bit of footwork to lose his man 15 minutes in, before winning his side a corner that eventually came to nothing.

The only shot on target of the half was registered a few minutes later, when Bramall forced a save from Lewis Ward, as he hit a free kick that the keeper was forced to tip over the bar.

Exeter’s leading assist maker Randall Williams found himself behind Colchester's defence 20 minutes in, however he couldn’t direct his cross towards a teammate. Two minutes later some nice work from Lee Martin allowed him to find Nicky Law just inside the Colchester area, however Law’s shot was charged down and deflected out for a corner.

After a small break in play on 23 minutes to allow the players to get a drink, Colchester continued to threaten down their right-hand side, but Courtney Senior failed to direct Ryan Jackson’s cross goalward.

The first casualty of the playoff’s came just 10 minutes before half time, as Exeter forward Lee Martin was forced off with an ankle injury, he was replaced by Matt Jay.

The second half began largely the same as the first, with both sides still looking to balance the risks between defence and attack.

The first chance came on 53 minutes, as Senior was able to find half a yard of space on the edge of the Colchester area, however he was unable to keep his effort down and the ball flew comfortably over the Exeter goal.

Jay looked promising since coming on for Exeter, as he won his side a freekick on the edge of the area as the game approached the hour mark. Jay took the freekick, but his curling effort was seen comfortably into the side netting by the experienced Dean Gerken.

With neither side yet to dominate the proceedings, the 66th minute saw both managers make changes as Law was replaced by Archie Collins and Senior made way for Luke Gambin. With another drinks break taking place just a minute later, both managers were hoping that their subs could add some much-needed quality into the final third for the last quarter of the match.

The following five minutes saw a couple of half-chances for Colchester, but Bramall, Nouble and Kwame Poku all saw their efforts either blocked or saved.

Both managers looked to take advantage of the five substitutes available to them, as both made double changes. Exeter bought on Brennan Dickenson and Tom Parkes, whilst Colchester bought on top scorer Theo Robinson and Tom Lapslie.

If there was ever going to be a breakthrough in this match, it was likely to come from a set-piece, and that’s exactly what happened after newly subbed on Robinson was brought down just outside Exeter’s box. With everyone expecting him to cross it, Bramall caught Ward napping and from a tight angle curled a beautiful freekick into the near post. With just 10 minutes to go, Colchester had taken the lead.

Some solid defending from the U’s for the last 10 minutes meant that there was no way back into the match for Exeter, however with both sides having much more quality to give, the Grecians will still fancy their chances at St James Park on Monday night.

Takeaways

The main takeaway from this first leg is the fact that this tie is far from over. With both sides clearly lacking in match sharpness, defensive stability was understandbly the priority of both managers. However, both sides have shown numerous times this season that they have vast amounts of quality in the final third, so hopefully with a bit more match sharpness in the second leg, that quality can be realised. 

Exeter have a solid home record this season, and if star players Randell Williams and Ryan Bowman put in the performances that they are capable off, there is no reason why Matt Taylor's side can't find a way back into this tie. 

That been said, Colchester do go into the second leg of this tie with a 1-0 lead, and if they can grab an early goal on monday night, then John McGreal's side will be in a prime position to progress to their first play-off final for 22 years. 

Man of the Match: Cohen Bramall

Bramall was the stand out performer in a game that largely lacked quality. Defensively Bramall was solid, as he played an important role in keeping Exeter's key man Randell Williams quiet. 

However, Bramall's most important contribution was of course his stunning freekick just ten minutes from time.