Meetings between Sheffield United and Colchester United have only sprung into action since the 1979/80 Third Division season. They entered the Football League in 1950 and spent 11 years in the Third Division, at the time it was the lowest ranked Division within the structure, they were relegated to the old Fourth Division (which had been founded in 1958) but were quickly re-promoted at the first attempt.
For the next 29 years they yo-yoed between the bottoms two Divisions until, in 1990 they were relegated into the former GM Vauxhall Conference (now Blue Square Premier League). In between those times the Blades and the U’s met in three seasons, our first was during the terrible Third Division season of 1979-80 which all reminds us of that Boxing Day game at Hillsborough.
Games against Colchester can too be forgotten – they met one another twice in quick succession on 21 August at Layer Road where the U’s recorded a 1-0 victory and on 9 October where they completed the double in a 1-0 win at Bramall Lane.
They met for the following two seasons as united extracted revenge of their opponents, winning 3-0 at the Lane and drawing 1-1 away from home – however it wasn’t enough for either side from staying away from the dreaded drop zone and the pair were relegated into the old Fourth Division.
Sheffield United would bounce back at the first time of asking, but Colchester pulled off the biggest defeat on United that season. The Blades had won their home game 1-0 in September and when the teams met again February 1982 a 5-2 defeat ended United’s 17 match unbeaten run. United however ended the season as Champions whilst the U’s finished sixth.
With the demise of the Essex club and United powering up the Football League there would be no professional meetings in the Football League until the U’s descended into the Championship in 2007 – their highest level of football they have played to date and in both matches the pair drew 2-2 and was the last action played out at their former Layer Road Ground.
There had been domestic cup meetings between these barren years – mainly in the FA Cup. In January 1989 the Blades won 2-0 at Layer Road but only in a replay after drawing the initial match 3-3 at the Lane. We didn’t meet in the same competition until 2004 when United again won, this time 1-0 but two years later (with promotion on their minds) the Blades lost 2-1 at home.
During the 2000/01 season they did meet in the Football League Cup – winning 4-0 on aggregate after 3-0 home win in the first leg.
The 2012/13 season saw the Blades take four points off their opponents – drawing 1-1 at their Community Stadium on 25 August and winning 3-0 in S2 on 16 February. John Cofie putting the Blades into the lead before former Sheffield Wednesday forward Clinton Morrison levelled the scores. In S2, goals from Barry Robson (4 minutes), who scored from the penalty spot after he had been fouled in the box by Jake Robinson put the hosts ahead. Midfileder Kevin McDonald (73) doubled their lead and Dave Kitson (90) finished to score his nineth goal for United after Diego De Girolamo saw his shot saved.
17 August 2013 - Sheffield United 1 Colchester United 1
Sheffield United came from behind to draw 1-1 at home to Colchester. Both goals came in the first half with Harry Maguire equalising just before the break after Freddie Sears had given Colchester the lead. The home side made the early running with Tony McMahon's curling effort going wide and Sean McGinty shooting straight at keeper Sam Walker. But it was Colchester who took a 25th-minute lead when they caught their opponents on the break following a corner. Sanchez Watt advanced towards the penalty area before slipping the ball to Sears who beat George Long with a low shot.
Maguire (45) equalised with the help of an error from keeper Walker after firing a shot on target. Walker appeared to have it covered but the ball squirmed from his grasp and went just inside his left-hand post. Walker atoned for his earlier error with saves from Lyle Taylor and Conor Coady, and also reacted smartly to beat Taylor to Fabien Brandy's ball through the middle.
9 November 2013 - Colchester United 2 Sheffield United 3
Chris Porter's late penalty sent Sheffield United through to the second round of the FA Cup with a 3-2 win, despite a stirring second-half comeback by Colchester. The Blades struck twice in the space of two early first-half minutes. Harry Maguire headed Tony McMahon's free-kick into the far corner of the net, in the 10th minute. And the Blades doubled their lead when Porter closed down Magnus Okuonghae's attempted pass and delivered a cross-shot which flicked in off Tom Eastman, despite keeper Sam Walker's attempts to keep it out.
Matt Hill struck the crossbar for the visitors and Sheffield United were the better side in the first half. But Colchester reduced the deficit three minutes after the break when Macauley Bonne headed in after Clinton Morrison had flicked on Luke Garbutt's delivery. And Garbutt drove in a superb low shot from 25 yards from Brian Wilson's throw to equalise just after the hour.
But after Okuonghae was adjudged to have handled Maguire's header in the area, Porter netted from the spot to send the Blades through.
25 February 2014 - Colchester United 0 Sheffield United 1
Colchester United became the latest victim of a Chris Porter 12 yard masterpiece when he netted the winning goal in a 1-0 League One victory last night. Sheffield United looked a confident unit and looked firmly to have swept away their troubles which haunted them earlier in the season and despite having a hat full of chances the Blades were forced to rely on a penalty kick moments from full-time to record their sixth consecutive victory on the spin and more importantly pushed the S2 side up to a respectable 12th in the table and six points clear of the bottom four.
Harry Maguire went on a surging 30 yard up field before been prevented by a Tom Eastman block, Baxter hit the foot of the post with his effort whilst a save from Sam Walker stopped Ben Davies from scoring on his full debut as the visitors missed opportunities during the game to seal a more convincing win which was deserved. The loanee from Derby County was also well involved in the build up which saw a penalty awarded and as a result saw Porter net his third goal in as many games with just three minutes remaining. Howard again deputised in goal and during his reign has number one as conceded just one goal in 10 hours of football, this largely due to both his own heroics and a solid back four defence. United had started the game well with Jamie Murphy in fine form. On one attempt to rumble the U's defence, as early as the 12th minute should have gifted Stefan Scougall a sight of goal, instead the Scot saw his pass cut out by David Wright.
Baxter saw his first time effort bounce out for a corner to much relief of the Colchester defence. Murphy again staged a frightening run, he made a trademark cut-in but his shot fired wide and at the other end, with United dominating the hosts did see the occasional advance into Blades territory but this was short-lived and Dominic Vose was in the thick of things, clearing Conor Coady's header from Jose Baxter's cross at the far post. Captain Michael Doyle, was on hand in the 61st minute to carve an opening which saw Baxter's timed shot fly past keeper Walker and dip agonisingly onto the foot of the far post, and this was the kind of effort which looked to sum up the visitors night, full of chances with no rewards.
Brayford, who scored the opening goal last Saturday against Bristol City in a 3-0 win, was raring to wheel away in celebration when he squared the ball for Davies who looked poised to open his account, but Walker somehow was able to scramble the ball to safety. The hosts looked to be hanging on for a point when as far as the home side are concerned disaster struck when former Wednesday striker Freddie Sears tripped Davis in the box - for United it was just the tonic they needed, PORTER stepped up and duly sent the keeper the wrong way, firing to the strikers left to send the 500+ away support of a 3,088 crowd into dubitation.
Statistics & Results
| P | W | D | L | F | A | |
| at Bramall Lane | 11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 22 | 10 |
| at Colchester | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 14 | 13 |
| Total | 21 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 36 | 23 |
| Records | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highest Aggregate | 7 | Colchester U. | 5 - 2 | Sheff. Utd. | 1981/1982 |
| Highest Sheff. Utd. score: | 3 | Sheff. Utd. | 3 - 0 | Colchester U. | 2012/2013 |
| Highest Colchester U. score: | 5 | Colchester U. | 5 - 2 | Sheff. Utd. | 1981/1982 |
| 21 Aug 1979 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | L | 1-0 | League Division Three |
| 09 Oct 1979 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | L | 1-2 | League Division Three |
| 01 Nov 1980 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | League Division Three |
| 04 Apr 1981 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League Division Three |
| 12 Sep 1981 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 1-0 | League Division Four |
| 06 Feb 1982 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | L | 5-2 | League Division Four |
| 28 Jan 1989 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | D | 3-3 | FA Cup |
| 31 Jan 1989 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | W | 0-2 | FA Cup |
| 19 Sep 2000 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | Worthington Cup |
| 27 Sep 2000 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | Worthington Cup |
| 15 Feb 2004 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 1-0 | FA Cup |
| 07 Jan 2006 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | L | 1-2 | FA Cup |
| 11 Aug 2007 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | D | 2-2 | League Championship |
| 02 Feb 2008 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 2-2 | League Championship |
| 17 Sep 2011 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | League One |
| 13 Mar 2012 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League One |
| 25 Aug 2012 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | D | 1-1 | League One |
| 16 Feb 2013 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | W | 3-0 | League One |
| 17 Aug 2013 | Sheffield United v Colchester United | D | 1-1 | League One |
| 09 Nov 2013 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | W | 2-3 | FA Cup |
| 25 Feb 2014 | Colchester United v Sheffield United | W | 0-1 | League One |