Brown left bored by Swindon’s goalless draw at Colchester

Posted Sunday, April 29, 2018 by PA

Swindon Town boss Phil Brown admitted even he was left bored by his side’s 0-0 draw at Colchester United.

Chances were at a premium in an uninspiring encounter, at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Brown said: “I’d like to apologise to our travelling fans because it was such an end of season game, especially in the first half, that I was fairly bored by it myself.

“The clean sheet is a positive for us but there was no great football, no clear-cut chances and one or two of the players looked as if they were already on the beach.

“It was not a spectacle and it certainly won’t bring the crowds back, that is for sure.

“We brought Kaiyne Woolery on and he injected a bit of life into the game.

“We were pressing more and we were playing football in the opposition’s half for a change.”

Brown’s future as Swindon boss is unclear and the former Southend United manager added: “I can’t begin to describe what it’s like to be in charge of a team that’s not mine and to be in charge of a team that I might not be in charge of 90 minutes down the line.”

Colchester head coach John McGreal felt his Colchester side deserved more from the game.

McGreal said: “We went out at home with a draw but I thought we thoroughly deserved to win.

“Had it been a boxing match, it would have been over and I’m pleased with how we applied ourselves.

“We’ve been stressing all week not to go out with a whimper in front of our own fans.

“We wanted to keep putting a show on for our fans and keep doing things the right way and that’s all I can ask for.

“I thought that we created chances – they weren’t so much clear cut opportunities maybe but we got the ball in and around the six-yard box.

“They had a little spell for 10 to 15 minutes in the second half but I thought after that, that we dominated the play.

“I thought Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe and Ryan Gondoh were terrific when they came on and Sammie Szmodics brought an injection when he came on, too.”

Matty Taylor’s deflected free-kick sailed straight into the arms of Colchester keeper Dillon Barnes early on while at the other end, Drey Wright’s first time cross-come-shot flew wide of the far post midway through the first half.

Swindon keeper Stuart Moore then pushed away a fine goalbound effort by Wright, who also drove just wide for Colchester shortly before the hour mark.

The hosts felt they should have had a penalty when substitute Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe tumbled under Ryan McGivern’s challenge but it finished goal-less.