Goals from Pablo Couñago, Owen Garvan and Lee Martin saw Town’s reserves to a 3-1 victory over Colchester United in an entertaining game at Playford Road this afternoon. The U’s went in a goal up at the break via Steven Gillespie.
Both clubs fielded strong teams in a game played in bright and sunny conditions at Town’s training ground despite being a home game for Colchester, the sides having played out a 0-0 draw at Portman Road earlier in the season.
The U’s could have gone in front in the sixth minute when David Fox hit a freekick which beat Arran Lee-Barrett but struck the bar.
Seven minutes later, Colchester did go ahead when Phil Ifil crossed from the right and Steven Gillespie tapped home from close range.
Town had started slowly but gradually took control. Reggie Lambe should have put the Blues back on terms on the quarter hour but shot across the face when in on goal on the right.
Steve Foley’s men were having most of the game but all too often the final ball was going astray or players — most often Lee Martin — were dallying for too long in and around the area.
On 34 Tom Eastman headed Owen Garvan’s corner from the right against the post, then four minutes later Reggie Lambe struck the other upright after Pablo Couñago had laid the ball back to him on the edge of the box.
The U’s were fortunate to go in a goal up at the break, but managed the second period’s first strike, however, Sam Corcoran’s effort failed to test Lee-Barrett.
Town finally equalised in the 58th minute when Jack Ainsley sent in a cross from deep on the right and Pablo Couñago got the merest of touches to take it beyond U’s keeper Mark Cousins.
Corcoran again shot straight at Lee-Barrett, then the Town keeper pulled off a neat save at his near post from Gillespie, but in the main it was the Blues threatening to score the game’s third goal.
Couñago flicked Martin’s cross from the right to Cousins, then at the other end Gillespie looped the ball onto the roof of Lee-Barrett’s net. The former Liverpool trainee had the ball in the net on 76 but having strayed offside.
Lambe shot straight at Cousins, then as the game entered the final 10 minutes the Blues went ahead. Couñago laid the ball across to Garvan on the edge of the area and the Republic of Ireland U21 international lashed a shot past Cousins and into the net.
Two minutes later, Town were awarded a freekick for a backpass inside the Colchester area. Couñago touched the ball to Martin, who slammed the ball into the roof of the net to make it 3-1.
Lee-Barrett did well to tip Corcoran’s 20-yard shot onto his left post on 86, then Couñago looped the Town keeper’s long clearance over Cousins but onto the top of the bar.
A deserved win for the Blues in a hard-fought game between two sides featuring a number of senior professionals.
Central defensive pair Tom Eastman, who looks certain to make his first team debut before the end of the season having been amongst the subs yesterday, and Tommy Smith were probably the stand-out performers with Liam Rosenior perhaps the pick of the more senior performers on the right of the defence.
The game’s more battling nature didn’t really play to Pablo Couñago or Owen Garvan’s strengths, although both had their moments, while Lee Martin looked a lot more confident after scoring his goal. Earlier, not much had gone right for the ex-Manchester United man, although to his credit he kept going and didn’t hide.
The match was watched by Roy Keane, who was joined by a couple of his children and a number of friends, probably from the Cork-based club Rockmount, with whom he played as a youngster, who he revealed on Friday were coming over for a few days.
Colchester boss Aidy Boothroyd was also there, along with former Town youth coaches Tony Humes and Richard Hall, who both now work for the U’s.
Reserves: Lee-Barrett, Rosenior, Ainsley, Hyam, Eastman, Smith, Lambe, Clark (Dunbar 84), Couñago, Martin, Garvan. Unused: Brandon, Griffiths, Yao.