Tierney: there’s no hard feelings

Marc has a soft spot for the club that gave him his break

MARC Tierney is on a high ahead of his second appearance against the club at which he came through the ranks.

The Colchester left-back, released by Athletic in early 2007 after spending his formative years at Boundary Park, was outstanding for the U's in last week's 2-2 draw with Exeter, creating a goal for former Rochdale favourite Clive Platt and clearing one off the line at the other end.

Since leaving Athletic, where he was a bit-part player over five seasons, Tierney's career has gone from strength to strength.

After being named as player of the year for Shrewsbury two seasons ago, the 23-year-old headed south and is now lining up a tilt at promotion as an integral part of an impressive-looking Colchester side currently lying third in Coca-Cola League One.

While the circumstances of his Athletic departure were not ideal, the fact that he is now an important member of a team in third place and going for promotion to the Championship makes up for it.

"While I was at Oldham I had five or six different managers and it was difficult to get a regular run in the team against that background," said Tierney, who made only 37 league appearances over four seasons.

"The reason I left was that I had a falling-out with (then manager) John Sheridan and it wasn't over football, it was more a personal thing.

"There is no bitterness there at all, though. I don't hold any grudges — things just didn't work out.

"The club gave me a chance in football and I will always be grateful for that.

"Since I left I have won a player of the year award at Shrewsbury and I am now settled down here at Colchester.

"Things happen for a reason. I still look out for Oldham's results, but the fans down here have really taken to me and come Saturday, it will be all about picking up the points for Colchester."

Home form was a problem for Colchester last season, their first in the brand new 10,000-seat Weston Homes Community Stadium after leaving Layer Road.

The U's lost 12 matches at home in Coca-Cola League One — more than any other side apart from bottom-of-the-table Hereford — but also managed 11 wins away, a record play-off finalists Leeds United could not match.

That good form on the road spilled into the start of this campaign.

The astonishing 7-1 demolition of relegated Norwich City on the season's opening weekend was a result that made the entire football community sit up and take notice of the Essex outfit, then managed by Paul Lambert.

But an equally strange occurrence took place only 10 days after that result in early August. Following the departure of Norwich boss Bryan Gunn, Lambert took over the hot seat at Carrow Road.

Former Watford boss Aidy Boothroyd is now at the helm at Colchester and has a talented squad with which to work.

Giant on-loan striker Kayode Odejayi was the scorer of the only goal when Barnsley famously beat Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup in 2008, midfielder Simon Hackney started his career at Woodley Sports before being snapped up by the U's from Carlisle at the start of the year, and £400,000 record signing, striker Steve Gillespie, cannot get in the starting line-up at present.

Despite their lofty league position, Boothroyd's side are not the best on their travels and have won only once away from home since the Norwich game, seeing off Leyton Orient 1-0.

Another former Athletic player on Colchester's books, Scott Vernon, will not play on Saturday. He is currently on loan at Gillingham, but is out of action through injury.

"It should be an exciting game," added Tierney, part of the Colchester side which beat Athletic 1-0 at Boundary Park last season thanks to a goal from Platt.

"You know what you are getting with players like Sean Gregan, who has played for some big clubs, and while Pawel Abbott is out injured and Chris Taylor hasn't really got going yet, we know that at home Oldham will still be a handful for us."