REPORT BY BRIAN WALLER
It gets better and better as the U's youth have won again, as they finish their season with a real bang.

Once more manager Joe Dunne was singing their praises at another pleasing display and result.

Again his boys have done him proud, recording their fourth consecutive win and bring a smile to the club. However the future looks good at this level as again his team turned on a fine display.

With two more reserve games this week, it is becoming a very testing challenge for the youngsters, with most to feature again this week in matches at Watford and at home to Wycombe.

Despite ten games due in 20 days, they seem to be standing up to the challenge well.

Once more the system was the one adopted at Stevenage during the second team game at Stevenage, with a 4-3-3 formation.

A solid back four, with Louis O'Sullivan, the deeper of the three in midfield, supplying the passes and spreading the ball wide for the full backs Banbury and Alex O'Leary.

With Shane Stamp and Russell Malton used out on the wings, it was they who were supplying the ammunition for a lot of the Colchester attacks, with Jordan Pavett the central striker.

With the back four looking a lot tighter and the midfield looking productive, it was the U's getting into some good attacking position from front to middle men.

With the defence keeping a good formation, any home counter attacking by the home team was being forced out to wider areas, and never really threatened Colchester.

The main aim of the strategy was to make Town have to play around the defence, rather than through it. This plan seemed to work well, despite a few corners being conceded.

Indeed it was from one of these that the visitors managed to take the lead.

A quick distribution out by keeper Shane Cusack released Jordan Lartey who moved on well, rounded the keeper, before slotting the ball away to give Colchester the lead.

The only down side was to be a mixed bag of corners delivered by Colchester, but this will give the coach something to work on in the coming weeks.

The best other chance came to Pavett who headed over, but it was a very satisfactory opening half.

With more games this week, Malton, who was given a good run out for 45 minutes, was then rested at the break and was replaced by Craig Arnott.

The half time team talk spoke about the good things of the first period, and how it was best to keep moving the ball around and not to let the home side settle and allowing them to get back into the game.

It did not take new man Arnott long to make an impression, as a fine delivery forward sent him clear.

He did all the right things, lifting his shot over the keeper, who did splendidly as he tipped the ball away.

Having got a scent for the goal, Arnott then got his rewards as he converted with a fine strike to make it 2-0.

The chances then kept coming as Conor McCloskey and Pavett nearly got a third, the latter flashing a header just wide.

All the pre-match watching of videos and DVDs of previous games, seemed to be paying dividends, as the errors in games are being minimised.

It is a big step up from Youth to Reserve football, but the experience at the higher level now seems to paying off, as matches against good Championship opponents in second team games is standing them in good stead for the challenge of the youth matches.

There was to be one late down side, as an attacking free kick in the closing minutes was a bit hurried, possession was lost and when Northampton broke, a corner was conceded.

From this Colchester did not organise themselves well enough, and a simple tap in goal was conceded.

However this was just to be a late home consolation goal.

It had been a good display by the whole U's team, with the midfield trio singled out for extra praise.

Three subs were used, but with another very young squad, the prospects for the future look very good.

During the summer, the training will be ongoing, and by the time the new season starts, the boys will be really ready for the challenges ahead. 

The last game is now done and dusted, so congratulations to Joe Dunne and the team, who finished the season with a real flourish.

Team: Shane Cusack, Banbury, John Glowacki, Bradley Hamilton, Alex O'Leary, Conor McCloskey, Louis O'Sullivan, Jordan Lartey, Russell Malton, Jordan Pavett and Shane Stamp

Used subs: Craig Arnott, Tom Bender and Jordan Sanderson with unused sub: Andrew Dickey