page_title: 2016–17 Colchester United F.C. season
section_title: October
hierarchical_section_title: 2016–17 Colchester United F.C. season / Season overview / League Two / October
caption_attribution_description: Lloyd Doyley
context_page_description: The 2016–17 season was Colchester United's 80th season in their history and their first season competing in League Two following their relegation from League One in the 2015–16 season. It was their first season in the fourth tier of English football for 18-years. Along with competing in League Two, the club also participated in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and EFL Trophy.
  Distinct changes in form and a series of lengthy squad injuries dictated Colchester's season. Many first-team players found themselves ruled out by injury, including Matthew Briggs, Kurtis Guthrie, Denny Johnstone, Frankie Kent, Lewis Kinsella, Doug Loft, Luke Prosser, Craig Slater, and Sammie Szmodics. Early season promise faded in late September with a winless run that stretched to the end of November. A turn in fortunes saw the U's win seven out of eight league games through December into January, earning John McGreal the December League Two Manager of the Month award. They again suffered patchy form from January onwards until a late push for the play-offs saw a return to form in April. Colchester fell just one point short of a play-off place on the final day of the League Two season, finishing in eighth position.
context_section_description: Colchester stretched their winless run to four games on 1 October with a 2–0 defeat in their away trip to Carlisle United. George Elokobi was loaned out to Braintree Town on 4 October for one month. Colchester signed free agent Lloyd Doyley on 7 October after having been signed to Championship side Rotherham United during the 2015–16 campaign.
  Colchester hosted Newport County for the first time since the 1987–88 season on 8 October, with the Welsh club rooted to the bottom of the League Two table. The U's winless run stretched to six games without a win after a goalless draw. On 13 October, Jack Curtis' loan at Needham Market was extended until 12 November, while Colchester recalled Macauley Bonne from his loan spell at Lincoln.
  Second-placed Doncaster Rovers hosted the U's on 15 October, and while Colchester had the better of the chances, Doncaster edged a 1–0 victory with a first-half injury time goal from Tommy Rowe separating the sides. A week later, Colchester had a great start against Morecambe when Chris Porter scored after four minutes of their first ever league encounter, and only the second meeting between the two sides. Goalkeeper Sam Walker saved a Morecambe penalty in the first-half, before Tom Barkhuizen equalised on 27-minutes. Porter scored his sixth goal of the season after converting a penalty six minutes before the interval. Morecambe earned a 2–2 draw when substitute Lee Molyneux scored in the 77th minute. Meanwhile, under-23 striker Femi Akinwande joined National League South side Bishop's Stortford for one month. Callum Harrison also left the club temporarily on 25 October, joining Needham Market for a second loan spell with the Isthmian League Premier Division side. Also leaving the club on loan was Ben Wyatt, who joined National League South outfit Concord Rangers for one month on 28 October.
  Referee Kevin Johnson was forced to leave the field on a stretcher during Colchester's tie with Plymouth Argyle following a collision with Jimmy Spencer on 29 October. Craig Tanner had opened the scoring for the home side on 16 minutes, but a Craig Slater free kick levelled the score after 31-minutes. Following a ten-minute delay for Kevin Johnson's injury, Ryan Donaldson capitalised on a defensive mix-up to put his side 2–1 up. Plymouth held on for 16-minutes of injury time to condemn Colchester to a ninth consecutive game without victory.
caption: McGreal brought in former Watford and Rotherham United defender Lloyd Doyley on a free transfer on 7 October.
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