A young Town reserves side fell to a 4-1 defeat at home to a very impressive Arsenal second string. The Blues went ahead through Nabil Abidallah in the third minute but the Gunners were largely in control thereafter.

The Dutchman's goal was created via a fine through ball from Dean Bowditch. Abidallah, who had a bright game in midfield, was played in on the right, cut inside before beating Stuart Taylor.

Arsenal hit back on 18 through Jeremie Aliadiere, scoring his usual goal against the Town reserves. John Halls, a former Colchester loanee, brought the ball forward and into the Town area, tackling notably absent. He played the ball on to Aliadiere who slipped the ball over Lewis Price.

Price saved well from the excellent Quincey when the striker broke through one-on-one not long after and Dean Bowditch picked up a yellow card for arguing with a foul given against Antonio Murray.

The last five minutes of the first period saw the visitors score twice, the first coming from full-back Justin Hoyte. The ball was played wide to Hoyte to the right of the penalty box. From a tight angle Hoyte chipped Price, the ball dipping just under the bar.

The Gunners' slick passing and pacy approach play was proving very difficult for the young Town defence to handle and a superb interchange of passes involving Halls, Aliadiere and Jerome Thomas ended with the latter beating Price for the third.

Town had chances in a second half where Halls added a fourth for the Gunners, the Town defence allowing a number of Arsenal players to play head tennis in the penalty area from a corner, the midfielder stabbing home from close in.

Taylor made a fine save from Liam Craig while sub Craig Reid was close to scoring on a number of occasions. Nabil Abidallah also brought the best out of Taylor with a shot from 25 yards, the keeper injuring his shoulder in the process of making the stop.

Late on Bowditch put the ball over the bar from an Abidallah freekick on the right which Gerard Nash had flicked on. Sub Matt Robinson came close with a header from an Abidallah cross.

Arsenal thoroughly deserved their victory, but that's not to say the Town youngsters didn't have spells when they played the ball about well and they could have added to their goal in the second period.

Reserves: Price, Okay (Synott 83), Richards, Murray, Collins, Nash, Abidallah, Atay (Robinson 64), Craig (Reid 64), Bowditch, Westlake.

Photo: Action Images

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