CARABAO CUP PREVIEW: Colchester United v Swindon Town

SWINDON TOWN will look to continue their impressive season-opening form as they seek to kick-start their first cup run of the season later today with Richie Wellens and his Robins squad taking on Colchester United in the first round of the 2019 Carabao Cup. Total Sport Swindon’s Ryan Walker previews the League Cup match. 

An unfamiliar start to the football season for Swindon Town fans has seen nothing but positivity being spread around the club with Richie Wellens and his team having recorded back-to-back league wins, most recently a 3-2 home win over Carlisle United at the County Ground last weekend. 

And now STFC fans will be hoping their side can go one better with tonight’s cup clash representing a real opportunity for Swindon to push on in a cup competition and into the tournaments latter stages. 

With both teams competing in League Two of the EFL this season, tonight's cup match will be the first out of three occasions that Swindon will face Colchester this season. And if last years results are anything to go by then both sets of fans should be in for an exciting and closely-contested game. 

Swindon ran out comfortable three-nil winners when the two teams met back in March, however, Richie Wellens knows his side will be in for a tough ninety minutes against tonight’s opposition as Town were beaten by a single goal on their last visit to Florence Park at the start of the 18/19 season.    

A busy summer transfer window has seen both teams strengthen considerably with Swindon and Colchester both bringing in numerous new faces to their respective clubs. Jevani Brown, Paris Cowan-Hall, Luke Gambin, Omar Sowunmi, Michael Fernandes, Cohen Bramall, and goalkeeper Dean Kerken have all joined up with The U’s.

Whilst Swindon’s transfer activity over the summer has seen Wellens recruit a number of attacking and defensive signings, with the STFC manager still hoping for more faces to come through the doors at SN1. 

Contrasting starts to the season has seen Colchester with just one point from their opening two games, drawing against Port Vale and losing to Plymouth Argyle in the sides most recent outing, leaving John McGreal’s Colchester sitting in 19th position of the League Two Table. 

In stark contrast, Swindon have begun their League Two campaign with two convincing wins over both Scunthorpe and Carlisle respectively, scoring five goals in the process and playing some attractive football. 

Both sets of players will head into tonight's match confident of progressing to the second round of the Carabao Cup, with Colchester hoping to earn their first match victory in the competition since 2010. 

U’s attackers Luke Norris and Jevani Brown will both be hoping to get amongst the goals, with Norris certainly eager to score against his old club. Whilst Swindon striker Jerry Yates will look to continue his impressive goal scoring form having found the back of the net twice already this season.

The main focus for both managers this season will be earning promotion back to League One, but a run in a cup competition could go some way to improving the spirits both on and off the field. Swindon Town fans will be hopeful of watching their side progress to the second round of the Carabao Cup later tonight, and against an indifferent Colchester team, this could be Town's best chance of progression in recent years.