PHIL Parkinson is hoping to banish the memories of his last return to his former club tonight when Charlton Athletic visit the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Stuart Watson

PHIL Parkinson is hoping to banish the memories of his last return to his former club tonight when Charlton Athletic visit the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

The Addicks boss led the U's to the second tier of English football for the first time in their history in 2006, but then quit for Championship rivals Hull that very summer.

Ironically a 5-1 hammering at Layer Road was a key factor in Parkinson's brief spell on Humberside coming to a quick end, but he is determined his in-form second-place side will give a much better account of themselves tonight.

“I'm very much looking forward to it,” said Parkinson, whose side sit second in the table after a nine game unbeaten run. “It will be the first time I've gone back to the new stadium as a manager or part of a management team, so that will be good.

“The stick doesn't really bother me. The game I got beat there when I was with Hull cost me my job because we had just drawn with Norwich on the Saturday and had started to turn results around.

“My sacking was a reaction to that result and I can't say it was a night I enjoyed but often when a manager goes back to his old club strange things happen.

“I'm hoping that will be reversed in terms of the result on Tuesday.”

Tonight's match will also see Kevin Lisbie up against his boyhood club. The on-loan Ipswich striker spent 12 years on the books of the London club, making 176 appearances and scoring 19 goals, before signing for the U's in August 2007.

Lisbie played twice against Charlton in the Championship last season as Ipswich twice failed to beat the eventually relegated side, but in a U's shirt the previous season he scored three times against the Addicks.

Having scored once at Layer Road in an early season 1-1 Championship draw, Lisbie then netted twice at The Valley in Colchester's 2-1 victory on New Year's Day 2008.

U's boss Aidy Boothroyd will face a selection dilemma, with Ashley Vincent returning to fitness following the ankle injury sustained against Swindon. Should he return to the side, Lisbie would almost certainly be back up front in place of either Clive Platt of Kayode Odejayi.

On-loan Wolves defender Danny Batth was substituted in the second half against Tranmere on Saturday due to his lack of fitness, but should retain his place ahead of Matt Heath, while Kem Izzt, available again after a three-match ban, is likely to be on the bench.

There is likely to be just one change for the in-form Charlton, with Portuguese midfielder Jos� Semedo likely to replace Matthew Spring after his recovery from a groin injury.

Squads

Colchester: Williams, Cousins, Tierney, White, Okuonghae, Batth, Heath, Ifil, Bender, Fox, Izzet, Vincent, Hackney, Wordsworth, Lisbie, Odejayi, Platt, Gillespie, Vernon, Elito.

Charlton: Elliot, Randolph, Richardson, Youga, Dailly, Llera, Basey, Sodje, Solly, Sam, Semedo, Bailey, Shelvey, Spring, Racon, Wagstaff, Burton, McLeod, Tuna.