Colchester United took on Exeter City in League Two play-offs in 2020

Nearly three years have now passed since Colchester United suffered play-off heartache at Exeter City, in the League Two play-off semi-finals.

The U’s had gone into the second leg on June 22, 2020 with a one-goal advantage, having led 1-0 from the first leg.

However, John McGreal’s side were beaten 3-1 on the night after extra-time at St James Park, to lose 3-2 on aggregate.

Much has happened at the U’s since that fateful humid night down in Devon, with all 16 players who featured that evening having now moved on to pastures new, along with boss McGreal.

The Gazette looks at the Colchester team that featured that day and where they are now.

DEAN GERKEN

The experienced keeper was the U’s first-choice throughout the 2019-20 season, after returning to the club from Ipswich Town.

The 37-year-old made a further 36 appearances for Colchester before retiring at the end of the 2021-22 season.

He is now an academy goalkeeper coach at former club, Bristol City.

RYAN JACKSON

The Exeter defeat proved to be Jackson’s final game, in a Colchester shirt.

The reliable right-back returned to play for the U’s in the play-offs, having a few weeks earlier been informed by the club that his contract would not be renewed following the financial implications of the pandemic.

Jackson joined Gillingham soon after the Exeter defeat and went on to join Cheltenham Town last summer, making 43 appearances for the League One side, this season.

TOM EASTMAN

Long-serving Eastman was a stalwart for Colchester, in the 2019-20 season.

The popular defender featured 47 times for the U’s lin that campaign and spent a further three years with the club before being released, last week.

LUKE PROSSER

Like his defensive partner Ryan Jackson, this proved to be Prosser’s final game in a Colchester shirt after his contract was not renewed.

Prosser made more than 100 appearances during his four-year spell at the U’s, many as captain.

He joined League Two club Stevenage soon after the Exeter defeat and made 57 league appearances for them over a two-year period, before being released in the summer of 2022.

COHEN BRAMALL

Bramall was a key player for Colchester in the 2019-20 season, helping them reach the play-offs.

He scored the only goal of the game in the play-off semi-final first leg against Exeter, giving his side a slender lead to take down to Devon.

Bramall played a further 25 times for the U’s in the 2020-21 season before leaving to join League One outfit Lincoln City in January, 2021.

He made 18 appearances for the Imps in the 2020-21 campaign, helping them reach the play-offs before moving onto Championship outfit Rotherham in the summer of 2022.

Bramall played 42 times for the Millers, this season.

HARRY PELL

Pell missed a chunk of the first half of the 2019-20 season due to injury but returned before Christmas to help Colchester reach the play-offs.

The midfielder experienced another injury-interrupted time in the 2020-21 campaign but still made 28 appearances for the U’s and helped them stay in League Two.

Pell left Colchester in the summer of 2021 to join League One club, Accrington Stanley.

He left the Reds last summer to join Johnnie Jackson’s AFC Wimbledon, where he made 33 appearances this season.

BEN STEVENSON

The silky midfielder was a big part of John McGreal’s side in their run to the play-offs.

He made 36 appearances for the U’s in that campaign and clocked up 34, in the last campaign.

Stevenson joined League Two side Forest Green Rovers in the summer of 2021, helping them win promotion in his first season there.

He made 35 appearances for the Gloucestershire club this season but could not prevent them from dropping back to League Two, at the first time of asking.

LUKE GAMBIN

The Malta international experienced a stop-start spell at Colchester but was in the starting line-up for their play-off semi-final second leg at Exeter City.

He continued to find senior starts hard to come by under Steve Ball and eventually left the U’s on loan for their League Two rivals Newport County in the 2021 January transfer window.

He was one of a number of players to leave the U’s in the summer of 2021 and was released by Sutton United, last week.

KWAME POKU

The 2019-20 season was a breakthrough campaign for the talented teenager.

After making his senior debut a few weeks into the season, he went on to make 38 appearances for the U’s in that campaign.

A further 37 appearances followed for Poku in the 2020-21, along with international recognition in the form of a call-up to the Ghana national team.

Poku left Colchester in August 2021 to join Peterborough United where he has made 65 appearances to date.

He scored in their 4-0 first-leg win over Sheffield Wednesday, in the League One play-offs.

FRANK NOUBLE

Like Prosser and Jackson, forward Nouble had been told that his contract would not be renewed by the U’s in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic but played in both legs of the play-off semi-final.

Nouble joined League One outfit Plymouth Argyle following his exit from the U’s, in August 2020.

However, he returned to Colchester in the January transfer window and played his part in keeping them in League Two.

He signed permanently for the U’s again in the summer of 2021, penning a two-year deal at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Nouble left Colchester in March 2023 to join National League side Torquay United and is now a free agent.

LUKE NORRIS

Striker Norris spent two and a half years at Colchester.

He made 42 appearances for the U’s in the 2019-20 season, scoring 11 times to help them reach the play-offs.

Norris made 18 appearances for Colchester in the first part of last season before leaving them to join their League Two rivals Stevenage, in the 2021 January transfer window.

The striker has gone on to play 123 times for Boro, scoring 37 times and has helped them win promotion to League One, this season.

Used substitutes: Lapslie, Senior, Cowan-Hall, Welch-Hayes, Robinson. Not used: Clampin, Sowunmi, Chilvers, Ross.

MANAGER – JOHN MCGREAL

The play-off semi-final second leg defeat proved to be McGreal’s final game in charge of Colchester.

After four years as the U’s head coach, he parted company with the club a few weeks after their heartbreaking loss at Exeter.

McGreal took over as manager of League Two club Swindon Town in May 2021 but left the role, a few weeks later.

He is currently back at former club Ipswich Town, where he coaches the club’s under-21s.