Colchester United have beaten Wealdstone 3-0 in the latest build-up game ahead of the new season
Goals from Paris Cowan-Hall, Michael Fernandes and Luke Gambin gave the U's the win, with a number of the squad getting another sixty minutes under their belts.
Cowan-Hall scored the only goal of the first half, a rebound after Jevani Brown's effort was saved, and Fernandes and Gambin added goals after the break as the U's took control.
The early stages saw both sides press and probe, but neither keeper was tested more than helping their respective side keep possession of the ball at the back.
It looked like the U’s would be first to test the opposing keeper, but Brandon Comley’s shot was blocked on the edge after Pell’s pullback found him on eight minutes.
Seven minutes later, the U’s opened the scoring through Paris Cowan-Hall.
A ball forward found Frank Nouble, who beat his man with a great turn before threading a ball through to Jevani Brown.
The new signing’s low shot was saved but the rebound fell kindly to Cowan-Hall, who comfortably bisected the two defenders on the line to make it 1-0.
Cowan-Hall had a chance to double the lead halfway through the first period, but elected to cross instead of shoot and the ball went over Nouble’s head on the far post.
Nouble was denied on twenty nine minutes, and Courtney Senior was unlucky that this rebound didn’t fall kindly for him.
The best chance for the hosts came two minutes later, but Dean Gerken dived to his right to palm away Mendy’s curling effort.
A couple of half chances came for the hosts in the remaining minutes of the half, but the two teams went in at the break with the U’s 1-0 ahead.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first, and once again the first sight of goal resulted in a U’s shot being blocked on the edge, this time from Brown.
A better chance fell to Brown on fifty three minutes, but he was stretching at the far post and couldn’t get his volleyed effort on target from a Pell cross.
The U’s were getting on top, and Senior hit his shot straight at the keeper just before Kane Vincent-Young hit the bar after good work from Senior and Nouble.
Brown will be wondering how he didn’t make it 2-0 for the U’s on fifty seven minutes, as he hit the bar with a rebound from close range after Vincent-Young had a shot saved.
Andre Hasanally had come on at half time for Cowan-Hall, but the remaining ten starters were replaced on the hour.
And two of the subs combined five minutes later to make it 2-0.
A ball fell to Luke Gambin on the halfway line, and a clever pass forward found Michael Fernandes running through with just the keeper to beat.
He ran the ball wide of the keeper, and calmly sidefooted his shot into the empty net.
The next chance fell to young forward Hasanally, but he hit his shot over the crossbar after good work on the right from Noah Chilvers and Gambin.
Gambin made it 3-0 with twelve minutes remaining – but the keeper really should have done better with the shot from just outside the box.
It was another professional performance from the U's against non-league opposition, ahead of the two home friendlies against Ipswich Town and Charlton Athletic.