PROMOTION aspirations were the common link between the two Uniteds at Chapel Road.

Steven Gillespie and John White were on the scoresheet for Colchester United as they got their pre-season campaign going with a 3-2 win at Tiptree United.

The U’s are desperate for a return to the Coca-Cola Championship this year, while Essex Senior League side Tiptree hanker for a place in the Ryman League division one north.

Colchester had to come back from a 2-1 interval deficit to defeat their committed hosts.

U’s manager Paul Lambert sent on two almost completely different line-ups for each half, using 21 of his squad members plus a trialist.

U’s new-signing David Fox started in the centre of midfield, while goalkeeper Ben Williams began his Colchester career by being beaten twice in the opening 45 minutes.

Tiptree pressed well in the opening spell and were worthy of their half-time lead.

They went ahead from the penalty spot in the eighth minute when Nathan Clarke was fouled by Phil Ifil.

Clarke stepped up to take the spot-kick and although Williams got a hand to the shot, he could not keep it out.

While Colchester kept Matt Belcher busy in the home goal, they couldn’t find any killer passes to unlock the home defence, however, Belcher had to be smart to deny Watkins and Jamie Guy.

The U’s were level on 21 minutes, though, when Fox’s corner was powered towards the target by Anthony Wordsworth’s header and White was on hand to force it home after a goal-line clearance.

However, almost immediately Tiptree’s Jamie Ricks capitalised on an under-hit back-pass by U’s left-back Matt Lockwood to Williams and the Jam-makers’ lively forward tucked the ball away to make it 2-1.

And it could have easily been 3-1 when a long ball forward was beautifully controlled by Lewen Ward, but his shot was well-saved by Williams.

Colchester made ten changes at half-time and looked far more fluent after the break, however, their hosts failed to rediscover their intensity.

Tiptree boss Colin Wallington made rolling alterations throughout the second period, but the extra fitness of the U’s players also appeared to tell in the warm conditions.

Simon Hackney also looked particularly lively down the U’s left and provided the cross from which Gillespie tucked the ball away on 64 minutes to level the scores.

Gillespie could have increased his tally with a couple of other decent chances, but was denied by the post and Aaron Benstead in the Tiptree goal.

However, Benstead could do nothing to keep out the goal that separated the two at the end.

Following another cross from the left, the ball cannoned off the head of one of his own defenders into the back of the net in the 81st minute.