Colchester United

The visitors started in lively fashion and it was Gambin who had the first sight of goal, dragging a shot wide of the far post after a darting run through the midfield.

And they picked up a valuable win in front of the watching U's first team management.

They had created chances through the first period, but it was in the second half that the goals started to come, with five coming in the first twenty minutes of the second half.
A flowing, free-scoring second half for Colchester United U21s saw them run out 6-1 winners in their latest Development League fixture.

The U’s responded in kind with a good flowing move down the right ended with Bonne swivelling and hitting a fierce shot that Saville was in the right place to get his chest in the way.

Fifteen minutes in and the U’s went close again. This time it was Wright earning some space by the byline who found Bonne, who with a shot across the face of goal, saw it drift just wide.

Barnet were swift on the counter attack, but they were finding a robust U’s defence waiting for them when they got into the final third.

From one corner earned from a U’s defensive block, the cross found its way to the unmarked Johnson, but he glanced his header wide of the goal.

And they should have taken the lead on 33 minutes as Lowe snuck in around the back in acres of space, but miscued his shot into Phillips’ arms.

A U’s shot from distance stung the hands of O’Brien before, from the resultant corner, Roast saw his stabbed effort go wide of the post.

Then Olufemi got to the byline and cut it back and as the ball found its way to O’Toole, he hooked his shot past the near upright.

Goalless at the break, the U’s had a good chance within two minutes of the restart. Sanderson, playing more centrally, had the ball laid back to him, but slashed his shot wide of the target.

The U’s got their noses in front with a quickfire double five minutes after the interval.

James-Lewis and Olufemi had swapped positions at half time, with the latter moving forward to the right wing.

James-Lewis slid in his team-mate down the right and Olufemi got to the byline to send over a low cross for Wright to tuck home from close range.

Sixty seconds later and it was two, with James-Lewis the provider this time, sending over a peach of a cross for Wright to stab home for his second.

The goals were coming quick and fast for the U’s now and they were three to the good on 55 minutes. 

A finely crafted move involving James-Lewis, Gilbey and Olufemi saw Gilbey poke the ball into a dangerous area and Bonne reacted first to stab the ball home past the keeper.

Three became four on 63 minutes, with the U’s winning the ball in midfield and getting it to O’Toole, who stepped inside his full back and drove the ball into the far corner.

Four minutes later, and the U’s made it five and it was O’Toole again. The Bees failed to clear their lines and it fell to midfielder in the box who, with a quick left foot, right foot move, found space to tuck it under the keeper.

Phillips found his way into the book for a trip on the onrushing Allen, after the Bees wide man broke through the U’s back line.

Then, a timely clearance from Hamilton with Sykes waiting in the middle just denied the Bees man as it seemed he was destined to tuck home.

Wright completed his hat-trick on 74 minutes, a ball from the left finding him waiting to bundle home from close range.

The visitors pulled back a consolation goal with five minutes to go as Sanderson was adjudged to have fouled his man right on the edge of the area.

Allen was quick to grab the ball, sending Phillips the wrong way to grab the Bees’ first of the game.

But it was merely a small blip on a fine evening for the U's as the U21s got back to winning ways.