REPORT BY BRIAN WALLER
The U's started their league season with a win on Saturday, but made it a little bit harder than it really should have been.

The first attack came from the visitors when Louis Dennis seemingly offside, got clear of the defence, but under pressure his shot was deflected wide for a corner.

As Colchester then responded, Craig Arnott put Freddie Ladapo away on the left but Ian Gayle, shepherding him well, dealt with the situation.

Then it was Ross Gilfedder played in down the right, and when he crossed in, Craig Arnott headed wide under pressure.

The game was moving from end to end, and Joe Sheldon crossed in from the right and saw Harry Larner coming in from the left to send his low skimming shot just wide.

There was danger when Dennis beat Connor Cranmer down the right, but when he hit the ball to the back post, Jack Folan, saw the ball away to safety.

Getting forward Cranmer crossed in from the left, but Ryan Spurge headed clear, with Gilfedder closing in.

Folan on a weaving run through the Daggers side took aim but a slight deflection on the shot saw it go straight into keeper Danny Sambridge's hands.

However Colchester then led when Arnott was found in loads of space on the left. His pass across was slightly behind Freddie Ladapo, but he swivelled on the ball, and put his right footed shot into the net.

Arnott then found Folan on the right and when he crossed over Bradley Hamilton could not control the header which looped up and went high and wide.

Gilfedder on a strong run through then elected to shoot rather than pass, but his effort was miscued wide.

Breaking from defence, Colchester were away again, and the pass found Ladapo, he picked out Atnott on the left but his attempt to knock the ball goalwards was stopped by a good block by Gemili.

Again the resulting corner was played short. Sanderson and Arnott twice exchanged passes before the latter crossed in low, but keeper Sambridge was onto it as Gilbey closed in.

It had been a good spell by the hosts but when the ball was floated forward, it was a great defensive header away by Matty Redgrave as he got the better of Nash.

Colchester came back and a ball across saw Cranmer drive his left footer just wide.

The half finished with another Daggers move, as Dennis got down the left but Nash's header was unconvincing and drifted wide at the back post.

Half time saw Gilfedder replaced by Ryan Melaugh and the substitute was to make an impression not long after his introduction.

Neat build up got Colchester a fine second goal.

Ladapo found Arnott on the right, he played it for Gilbey, but when his shot was blocked, it ran out for Melaugh who put his left footed shot into the net, to give his side a deserved 2-0 lead.

The away team continued to make a few mistakes and another poor header only found Arnott, he put Ladapo away, but although he got ahead of his marker, his angled shot from the left was wide of the far post.

The game then turned midway through the half as Colchester then conceded.

It all began when Trevor Ajim in trying to let the ball run out for a goal kick, had to concede the corner.

When the ball went out to the right, it was played back in. Redgrave went at it low down with his head and it skimmed off him, running straight to Andre Gumbs who crashed his half volley into the net.

Folan's great cross in from the right found Arnott, he brought the ball down superbly, rounded the keeper, and slotted it into the net, but the linesman's flag was already up for offside.

Tom Davie then found one of the Daggers subs, but it was a great block by Hamilton, followed by a smother by keeper Shaun Phillips.

As time ran out, Colchester tried to clear an attack, but back the ball came in again from Sheldon and he forced a smart save down to his left by keeper Phillips, and in the ensuing scramble, Gilbey cleared the danger.

Colchester were living on the edge now as the minutes ticked down. A cross in from the right, was missed by the first man in the centre, but Larner swung a leg, but the ball curling over the bar.

The U's really should have sealed it as Gayle's header was poor, allowing Arnott to get onto the ball to find Melaugh, but his shot was well blocked.

As it turned out, that didn't prove costly as the U's ended up 2-1 winners.

Teams - Colchester: Shaun Phillips Jack Folan, Trevor Ajim, Matty Redgrave, Connor Cranmer, Ross Gilfedder, Jordan Sanderson, Bradley Hamilton, Alex Gilbey, Freddie Ladapo and Craig Arnott

Used subs: Ryan Melaugh and Tosin Olufemi
Unused subs: Richard Robins, Augustin Mufuta and Matty Brown

Dagenham and Redbridge: Danny Sambridge, Adam Gemili, Ryan Spurge, Ian Gayle, Andre Gumbs, Harry Larner, Tom Davie, Joe Sheldon, Jay Nash, Louis Dennis and Jack Jeffries