Colchester United

There were two debutants in the U’s starting eleven, at completely different ends of the experience spectrum.

The one real positive for U's boss John Ward was the debut by young Drey Wright, with Mark Cousins also making decent saves to prevent the Glovers adding to their tally.

A first half double from Richard Hinds was added to in the second half by sub Keanu Marsh-Brown.

The U's bowed out of the Capital One Cup, with defeat at Yeovil.

Clinton Morrison has played at every level, including international football and was starting alongside Drey Wright, who has only played for the U’s youth and reserve teams.

Still eligible for the U18s, Wright lined up in John Ward’s first starting eleven of the season, with cup progress the target.

The game started with a bang for the home side, not what the U’s wanted, as Richard Hinds put his team ahead.

Kem Izzet made a good block to concede a corner but Hinds reacted quickest as the set piece dropped and volleyed past Cousins in the U’s goal.

A minute later, the assistant referee ruled that Reid had strayed marginally offside but his shot was saved by Cousins as the U’s soaked up the early pressure.

The U’s had some pressure of their own on ten minutes as Andy Bond’s header was deflected for a corner. 

Anthony Wordsworth’s first inswinger was awkwardly blocked by the home keeper, before he did a better job tipping away the second corner.

Three minutes later, Morrison won back possession and when the ball ran loose, Ian Henderson’s instant shot flew well wide.

On the quarter hour mark, the play switched to the U’s half in an instant, with a clearance clearing Brian Wilson on the halfway line.

Cousins won the foot race to the ball against Reid and fortunately, his sliding tackle found Michael Rose.

There was an even more important intervention by Cousins on seventeen minutes, as he had to save low to his left from Hayter after a flowing move by the home side.

The U’s new number one was certainly the keeper with the most to do, with a fingertip save required halfway through the first period.

There was some doubt about whether the shot was dipping under the bar but the U’s keeper took no chances. 

As the home side continued to ask most of the questions, Brain Wilson had to intervene after another good move for the Glovers on twenty seven minutes.

Seconds later, Wilson and his fellow defenders were relieved as a low cross flashed all the way across the six yard box, with no Yeovil forward able to get a finishing touch.

The U’s next efforts came on thirty three minutes, with both Bond and Wordsworth’s long range efforts being blocked on the edge of the Yeovil area.

Two minutes later, debutant Drey Wright cut inside the Yeovil full back but unlike his successful effort at Bishop’s Stortford at the weekend, his curler went wide of the far upright.

As the half went into its final five minutes, the sides exchanged efforts, with Stech pushing Wordsworth’s effort wide and Cousins holding a similar effort from Reid.

Cousins couldn’t prevent the Glovers doubling their lead on forty three minutes though, with Hinds doubling his personal tally as well.

It was another corner doing the damage, this time Hinds powering his header into the top corner and giving his side a two goal cushion going into half time.

But the U’s started the second on the front foot, with Eastman getting in the thick of things.

He first had a header deflected for a corner and from the resultant set piece, his volley was well saved by Stech in the Yeovil goal.

There was a far more comfortable save at the other end on fifty one minutes, as Reid turned but shot weakly at Cousins.

A half chance then came for Wordsworth but he couldn’t control his stretching volley and the ball flew over the home crossbar.

Drey Wright’s debut for the U’s came to an end on fifty seven minutes, as he was replaced by Karl Duguid.

After a quiet period for both defences, the U’s had keeper Cousins to thank for preventing it being 3-0 to the home side, coming out smartly to save at the feet of Reid.

With thirteen minute remaining, Duguid shot over as the U’s looked to reduce the deficit but that deficit became three goals two minutes later. 

A break through the middle resulted in sub Keanu Marsh-Brown being one on one with Cousins and the Yeovil forward made no mistake with his clipped shot over the U’s keeper.

U’s boss John Ward made a second substitution, bringing on John-Joe O’Toole for Kem Izzet.

Andy Bond had a header saved by Stech, with Cousins at the other end then denying sub Lewis Young with a low save.

Cousins then had to tip over a rasping drive from another of the Yeovil subs, Nathan Ralph.

The final few minutes went by without much incident and the U’s bowed out of the Capital One Cup at the first time of asking.

Another long trip awaits Ward’s squad on Saturday, with Preston playing host in the U’s first league fixture of the season.

Subs: Pentney, Heath, White, Gilbey, Bean.