Colchester vs Cheltenham

League Two · Sep 19, 2026 · 14:00

Final score: Colchester 1–1 Cheltenham

Match preview

Colchester United will be looking to bounce back quickly when they host an in-form Cheltenham Town side at the JobServe Community Stadium on Saturday, September 19th, 2026. The U's endured a disappointing start to their League Two campaign, suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat in their opening fixture, leaving them without a point and a 0% win rate. Their leaky defence, having conceded three already, will be a concern against a prolific Cheltenham attack.

In stark contrast, Cheltenham arrive with considerable momentum, having secured two wins from their first three outings. With seven goals scored and only four conceded, they boast a 67% win rate and sit comfortably higher in the early standings. Their attacking prowess, averaging over two goals per game, suggests they will pose a significant threat. The bookmakers favour Colchester slightly at 1.97, perhaps anticipating a home advantage bounce, but Cheltenham's strong early form at 3.735 looks appealing. With both teams showing a willingness to find the net, the Over 2.5 goals market at 1.74 could be a popular choice. Colchester must tighten up defensively, while Cheltenham will aim to exploit any vulnerabilities to continue their strong start.

Standings

• Colchester: #19 · 10 Pts · 8 P (2W 4D 2L)
• Cheltenham: #4 · 15 Pts · 9 P (4W 3D 2L)

Recent form

Colchester

• D Sep 12, 2026: Colchester 1–1 Crewe
• L Sep 5, 2026: Swindon Town 3–1 Colchester
• L Sep 1, 2026: Bristol Rovers 2–0 Colchester
• W Aug 29, 2026: Colchester 1–0 Rochdale
• W Aug 22, 2026: Colchester 2–1 Oldham

Cheltenham

• W Sep 12, 2026: Crawley Town 1–3 Cheltenham
• D Sep 5, 2026: Cheltenham 2–2 Grimsby
• W Sep 1, 2026: Cheltenham 3–2 York
• D Aug 29, 2026: Barnet 2–2 Cheltenham
• L Aug 22, 2026: Swindon Town 2–1 Cheltenham

Head-to-head

• 2026-09-19T14:00:00+00:00: Colchester 1–1 Cheltenham
• 2026-05-02T14:00:00+00:00: Cheltenham 1–4 Colchester
• 2025-11-29T15:00:00+00:00: Colchester 2–0 Cheltenham
• 2025-03-08T15:00:00+00:00: Cheltenham 0–1 Colchester
• 2025-01-14T19:00:00+00:00: Cheltenham 2–1 Colchester

Match events

• 10' Card Yellow Card — Shaun McWilliams (Cheltenham)
• 18' Card Yellow Card — Jake Evans (Cheltenham)
• 28' Card Yellow Card — Oscar Thorn (Colchester)
• 66' Goal Normal Goal — M. Sesay (Colchester) (assists: E. Iandolo)
• 69' subst Substitution 1 — O. Thorn (Colchester) (assists: J. Williams)
• 74' subst Substitution 1 — S. McWilliams (Cheltenham) (assists: F. Willcox)
• 74' subst Substitution 2 — J. Evans (Cheltenham) (assists: R. Broom)
• 76' Card Yellow Card — Harry Anderson (Colchester)
• 78' Goal Penalty — A. Weimann (Cheltenham)
• 83' Card Red Card — Jaden Williams (Colchester)
• 84' Card Yellow Card — Ellis Iandolo (Colchester)
• 85' Card Yellow Card — Jonathan Tomkinson (Cheltenham)
• 89' subst Substitution 2 — H. Anderson (Colchester) (assists: L. Chiwome)
• 89' subst Substitution 3 — A. Weimann (Cheltenham) (assists: K. Otchere)
• 90'+2 Card Yellow Card — Charlie McCann (Cheltenham)

Match statistics

• Shots on Goal: 2 — 2
• Shots off Goal: 3 — 1
• Total Shots: 8 — 12
• Blocked Shots: 3 — 9
• Shots insidebox: 5 — 6
• Shots outsidebox: 3 — 6
• Fouls: 14 — 13
• Corner Kicks: 3 — 9
• Offsides: 0 — 3
• Ball Possession: 45% — 55%
• Yellow Cards: 3 — 4
• Red Cards: 1 — 0
• Goalkeeper Saves: 1 — 1
• Total passes: 369 — 443
• Passes accurate: 285 — 363
• Passes %: 77% — 82%
• expected_goals: 0.52 — 1.81
• goals_prevented: – — –