Colchester United

All four goals came in the first half, with the hosts tightening up their defence in the second period and preventing a repeat of Saturday’s eight goal win for Tony Humes and his squad.

Gavin Massey scored the first two, including a stunning volleyed opener that will be hard to better throughout the coming season.

Youngsters Sammie Szmodics and Macauley Bonne added further first half goals, before the whole eleven players were changed during the half time break.

The second half eleven faced a much more disciplined Brentwood rearguard and had to be content with the lion’s share of possession rather than any more goals.

First half line-up – Parrish, Brindley, Kent, Wynter, Briggs, Edwards, Gilbey, Szmodics, Massey, Wright, Bonne.

From the first whistle, the U’s showed their attacking intent and it only took them two minutes to record the first shot of the game.

Richard Brindley and Szmodics combined well on the right before the latter struck a shot that went just the wrong side of the post.

Two minutes later and Szmodics was at it again, with his second shot of the game flying straight at the Brentwood keeper.

He turned provider on nine minutes, hitting a low cross that Bonne got to first but found the keeper in is way at the near post.

Szmodics’influence on the game continued in the eleventh minute and he was the creator for the U’s opener, but it was the goal itself that will be remembered.

A long diagonal ball by Szmodics was judged perfectly by Gavin Massey and the right foot volley from the angle of the box found the top corner.

Massey then shot wide from a pull back from Matt Briggs but wasn’t to be denied a second goal for long.

 Bonne found Szmodics on the left and from another ball pulled back to the edge of the box, Massey’s smart finish sneaked inside the post to double the U’s lead.

It was one way traffic at this stage and following a break from defence by Joe Edwards, Szmodics was denied twice in quick succession by the home keeper.

Two goals in the space of two minutes completed the first half rout and it was no surprise that Szmodics was one of the scorers.

He got the U’s third on thirty four minutes, hitting a sweet shot in off the post after beating two defenders with some nifty footwork.

Bonne added the fourth on thirty six minutes, with a calm finish after Massey’s run was bought to an end.

Massey came within inches of a hat-trick as the half came to an end, with his shot hitting both posts before falling kindly for the Brentwood keeper.

And the home stopper was in the right place at the right time just before half time, saving a long range effort from Drey Wright.

It was 4-0 to the U’s at the break and the first half team went off for a deserved rest after a stunning forty five minutes of football.

Second Half line-up – Lewington, Olufemi, James, Eastman, Vincent-Young, Lapslie, Moncur, Lee, Sembie-Ferris, Holman, Porter.

Brentwood certainly came out for the second half intent on damage limitation and the U’s did find it hard to break down a resolute rearguard.

Ollie Lee had the first real attempt on goal, denied by a diving save from a free kick in the fiftieth minute.

The triallist turner provider two minutes later, setting up Dan Holman who could only find the keeper’s hands with his shot.

Only a fantastic save denied George Moncur a second goal in two games, after the U’s midfielder had got onto the end of a Kane Vincent-Young cross.

An even better save denied Moncur again on seventy five minutes, after he had combined with Holman to carve himself a sight of goal from around the penalty spot.

Right on full time, the U’s almost got a fifth goal but Lee’s effort from outside the box was superbly tipped around the post by an extremely agile home keeper.

It was another good workout for the U’s in their build-up to the new season and they looked positive against their newly promoted opposition.

A tougher test no doubt awaits them at the weekend though, as they take on Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday afternoon.