Town’s U18s returned to winning ways via a 3-2 victory over Colchester United at Florence Park this morning.
Matches between the two sides normally see plenty of goals with 15 coming in the two league games last season, and today’s game - moved to Florence Park at late notice from Maldon & Tiptree’s Wallace Binder Ground - was no exception.
There was an early chance for Town as Nelson Eze (pictured) missed with an attempt at an acrobatic effort, then for Colchester James Sasere outpaced his marker but shot just wide of the far post, before teammate Burak Sabah curled his shot from the right just wide of the far post.
However, it was the visitors who scored first in the 16th minute. Luke Towler crossed from the right, Charlie Compton shot goalwards and Eze diverted it into the net to give Town the lead.
After a long range shot by Ashton Boswell flew well wide for the Blues, the U’s got back on level terms on 23 as, after excellent work by Owen Moore on the right, Sasere turned the ball in from close range.
amie Mauge took the ball wide of David Nkrumah and got a shot away, but keeper Jack Sexton was down to save.
From a corner, George Chenery headed just over the bar for the Blues, then Eze set up Compton but Harvey Duggens blocked well, before, for the U’s, Sasere was just unable to turn the ball in from a Moore cross. At the other end, from a Mauge cross from the left, Duggens headed clear.
Town’s Leon Elliott was booked for a foul on Sabah before the Blues regained the lead in first-half injury time.
From a deep Boswell cross from the right, Mauge headed back across for Frith to convert.
At the interval, Town introduced Will Unadike for Boswell, then Compton looked to have got in down the left, but was well tackled by Ope Oporo.
For Colchester, Nkrumah made a great run down the left but shot just wide of the far post.
And on 53, Town made it 3-1. Chenery found Elliott who scored with a rising shot high into the net.
A double home change saw Kai Martin and Ryan Mombo on for Lennox Emery and Ronnie Harvey.
Marin was fouled by Unadike but from Martin’s free-kick Blues keeper Alan Fleischer made a good save down low to his right.
From an Elliott cross from the right, the back post header by Eze was over the bar. At the other end, from a free-kick, Martin found Sasere whose on the turn shot flew just wide of the far post.
On 64, Colchester replaced Alamin Kosoko with U16 Drey, then Town weren’t far from a fourth. From a left-wing corner, but the back post header by Chenery was badly wide.
The Blues subsequently made three changes as Fraser Heard, Bobby Sains and Shakil Nicolau, a summer signing following his Tottenham exit, were brought on.
From a shot by Moore, Blues’ sub Heard cleared off the line and then Moore’s cross-field shot was just wide of the far post.
Colchester went close again as Duggens’s back-post header hit the post, but in the 80th minute, after good work by Mombo, Sasere made it 3-2.
After Mauge lobbed over the bar, Martin fouled Nicolau and the free-kick was headed over and wide.
From another Mombo cross, Sasere tried to turn on the ball but was held off of it. Late on, Duggens was replaced by Leo Makatta.
Elkanah Akor found Moore down the right who smacked in the shot which Fleischer did really well to save.
As the game came to a close, Town’s Usiswe Longwe was booked for a foul on Drey.
After the final whistle, it appeared Colchester’s Nkrumah was sent off for something said to the referee.
Colchester United: Sexton, Kosoko, Abidkun, Duggens, Nkrumah, Akor, Harvey, Sabah, Emery, Moore, Sasere. Subs unused: Martin, Mombo, Drey, Makatta.
Town: Fleischer, Elliott, Frith, Chenery, Brouwers, Towler, Boswell, Longwe, Mauge, Crompton, Eze. Used subs: Unadike, Heard, Sains, Nicolau.