Fans criticise the state of Colchester’s pitch as Grimsby boost their hopeful League Two promotion push with a 2-1 win.
Grimsby open up a four-point gap over Colchester, strengthening their position in the play-off places. Goals from Kieran Green and Evan Khouri, scored either side of Owura Edwards’ equaliser for Colchester, sealing Grimsby’s tenth away win of the season.
However, the condition of Colchester’s pitch drew significant attention from fans be in in the stand or watching it on TV.
Colchester’s Danny Cowley said, per Gazette News: “Grimsby were the better team.
“They outplayed us and their style on this surface was very effective.
“We have to accept that we didn’t really get to our levels, particularly in the second half.
“It’s so frustrating for us and it’s so hard to have got the team into this position – there were nearly 7,000 people here.
“We haven’t used excuses to this point and if we want to be weak we can moan about the pitch for sure but we’ve had our success from being strong and resolute and by being determined and by outplaying the pitch.
“We know it’s a challenge particularly when we play against teams like Grimsby who are really direct and purposeful and played forward and we don’t have the players to play in that style – we have to play in our own style.
“We’ve managed to this point up until today to do that well in spite of the pitch.
“I don’t want to moan about the pitch because I don’t want my players to moan about the pitch – we can’t do anything about the pitch, all we can do is control our performance and we didn’t play well enough today.”
LISTEN ⚽#ColU head coach Danny Cowley says they can’t use the quality of their pitch as an excuse for their 2-1 home defeat to Grimsby Town.https://t.co/qFZsTBnDz6 pic.twitter.com/bDbOAcNC0B
— BBC Sport Essex (@BBCEssexSport) March 28, 2025
After conceding immediately in the second half: “It was a really poor way into the second half for us.
“The ball got played back, Lyle (Taylor) got pressure on the ball, their goalkeeper has kicked it really poorly, it kind of split us, Arthur (Read) gets a touch to it, it goes to their left wing-back and unfortunately, it just opened us up.
“Kells couldn’t get across, they crossed and they found the first goal.”
On Edwards’ goal: “It was a brilliant bit of quality.”
On the offside decision: “It was a goal we’re told so he was onside,” said the U’s boss.
“Those tight margins didn’t go our way today.”
On the fans: “Before the game I thought they were brilliant and just created such a fantastic positivity, in the stadium.
“During the game, they stayed with us throughout and even at the end of the game, they were still here, clapping the players.
“They definitely did their job tonight – they were incredible for us and we’re disappointed we didn’t reciprocate with the levels that we expect of ourselves and the levels we’ve set ourselves.”
Fans criticise the state of Colchester’s pitch as Grimsby boost their promotion push with a 2-1 win…
@charlielyee: Colchester United have to worst football pitch I’ve ever seen 😂 it even lost them a crucial game tonight 😳
@ajtommo1991: Colchester making Grimsby feel at home by putting the majority of the Cleethorpes beach on the pitch #GTFC
@Footy_Tipster: Are they playing on a golf course?
@_MH93: That Colchester pitch is horrific, get better pitches in juniors in Scotland 😂😂
@ellmeaks: Has Colchester’s pitch got mole hills ?
@irishmariner88: Colchester should be automatically relegated just for the state of that pitch, and considering the shape of ours that’s saying something #GTFC
@BenCoultas: Less sand on the cleethorpes beach than this Colchester pitch 😂😂🤦♂️
@adam_king91: I know our pitch is bad but Colchester’s literally has pot holes everywhere! The ball bounces in different directions 🤦🏼♂️ #GTFC
@1RecordBreakers: What has happened to Colchester’s pitch!!? Can hear Maynard’s excuse already for that one in a few weeks.
@SHD_Backup: That pitch 😳😧
@Jamie_Probert1: Fucking hell there’s a pitch actually worse than ours 😂 #dcfc
@HowellToTorres: The absolute state of that pitch.
@adamhill69: wtf is that surface
@CWells_155074: State of that pitch. Looks more like a cabbage field than a professional football pitch.
@garyslade1987: Amazing how 90% of non-league pitches put that to shame. Not surprised it had a direct impact on the goal
@cj11tt: Colchester’s dreadful pitch with an assist for our winner hahahaha superb
@theWycombeWay: Point deductions needed if you play your home games on a farm.
@JoeyED96: That pitch! Jesus Christ! 🤯
@ChrisTu48205144: should be fined for that pitch
@GuyTUFC1899: That pitch 😩
@tomhwilliams23: What on earth has happened to the pitch?
@tom1902136: Ian Wright cried about the state of the pitch the other week for a women’s game, look at the state of this pitch, guess where had the highest attendance…
@brianroberts621: What a dreadful pitch!
@hamieboy: What’s going on with that pitch 😬
That pitch is nearly as bad as this. Absolute embarrassment for any EFL club, especially as this has been going on for years. EFL need to force them to spend the money and fix it before players get hurt pic.twitter.com/ThAp3tSuOG
— Sam Winton (@Samwinton99) March 28, 2025
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