Colchester United came through a competitive game against Spurs U21s, losing 1-0 to the Premier League youngsters this afternoon.
Roshaun Mathurin struck the only goal of the game on his return from injury as our Under-21s beat Colchester United 1-0 in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly at Hotspur Way today.
The 18-year-old attacking midfielder, who missed virtually the whole of the 2021/22 campaign after suffering a serious knee injury in training last August, netted mid-way through the second half in his comeback match to give Wayne Burnett’s side victory in their first outing of the summer.
There was a first run-out in our colours for summer arrival Tyrell Ashcroft at right-back and it was down his side of the pitch that our first attempt at goal originated, Yago Santiago’s cross headed onto the roof of the net by centre-forward Kion Etete after 18 minutes.
Romaine Mundle and Nile John both went close inside 60 seconds with shots from distance while Adam Hayton had to be alert at the other end to block Alex Newby’s shot from the right angle as Colchester threatened to take the lead just beyond the half-hour mark.
Mundle was denied by two saves in quick succession from Colchester keeper Sam Hornby on the stroke of half-time but after chances for both sides in the early stages of the second half, we grabbed a 66th-minute lead when Mathurin latched onto a cross from the right and slotted inside the near post.
Both teams made wholesale changes as the second period went on and although we maintained good control of the game throughout, it was the League Two side who enjoyed the better of the late chances, Luke Chambers heading over the bar and Freddie Sears firing into the side netting. Sears thought he’d equalised 11 minutes from time when he slid a shot-on-the-turn past Aaron Maguire after an initial important defensive header from fellow substitute Alfie Dorrington, but an early off-side flag thwarted the Colchester man and we saw out the closing stages to get pre-season off to a winning start.
Starting XI: Hornby, Tchamadeu, Eastman, Smith (Terry), Kazeem, Huws (Marshall Miranda), Cooper, Triallist, Newby, Chilvers, Akinde.
Last Thirty Minutes: George, Coxe, Chambers, Terry (Beadle), Clampin, Marshall Miranda, Skuse, Hannant, Sears, Sayer, Nouble.
Photos and report provided by Tottenham Hotspur.