Colchester United have been confirmed as ball number 13 for Monday's FA Cup First Round draw. The draw will be broadcast live on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max, and the TNT Sports YouTube channel from 6.30pm, with the draw itself expected around 6.35pm.
Host Matt Smith will be joined by former players Martin Keown and Fara Williams to conduct the draw. Colchester, currently 20th in League Two with 11 points from 10 games, will be hoping for a favourable tie to boost morale. Their record of two wins, five draws and three losses this season, with 10 goals scored and 13 conceded, underlines the need for a positive distraction. The first round proper is scheduled for the weekend of Saturday 7 November, with prize money on offer for both winning and losing clubs.
The U's are without a win in five league matches, a run that includes a goalless draw at home to Exeter City last time out. That result on Saturday 17 October extended a recent run of no wins, three draws and two losses. This sequence also includes a 1-0 defeat at Newport County on 10 October, a 1-1 draw with Luton, a 2-2 draw at Shrewsbury, and a 3-1 loss at Peterborough. Their recent form of three draws and two losses has left them in the lower reaches of the table, 11 points behind leaders Salford City.
Among the other ball numbers are local rivals such as Gillingham (19), Leyton Orient (23), and Cheltenham Town (11). The full list of clubs and their corresponding numbers is available on the official FA website.
Focus now briefly returns to league action, with a trip to face seventh-placed Chesterfield on Tuesday night. That fixture takes place on Tuesday 20 October. After that, attention will turn to the cup draw and a potential cup run. The team will look to top scorer J. Payne, who has 13 goals this season, to help improve their fortunes in both competitions.
This story first appeared at cu-fc.com
