The goals flowed at Scraley Road tonight as Colchester United ran out 8-0 winners over Heybridge Swifts in their latest pre-season friendly.

The U’s, who once again fielded separate sides in either half, led 4-0 at half-time after a dominant first-half display.

And Joe Dunne’s side scored four further goals in the second half to complete an emphatic victory over their Ryman League division one north hosts.

Colchester were in complete control in the first half, threatening the Heybridge goal from the start.

Swifts started with U’s goalkeeper Chris Lewington between the sticks, after their regular keeper Danny Sambridge missed the kick-off after arriving late at the ground.

Colchester peppered the Swifts goal in the opening stages, with Freddie Sears, Drey Wright and George Moncur all going close before four goals in 14 minutes left the U's in complete control.

They took a 16th minute lead through the impressive Sears, who blasted home emphatically from close range after an excellent build-up by the U’s.

And Colchester doubled their lead less than two minutes later through George Moncur, who converted from eight yards following an excellent build-up by the visitors.

David Wright made it 3-0 soon after heading in Dan Holman’s delivery from close range, with the Heybridge defence struggling to deal with the League One’s side movement.

And when Sears fired in a superb free-kick from little more than 20 yards that left keeper Danny Sambridge motionless, Swifts looked a little demoralised.

To their credit, Ryman League division one north side fought back well in the minutes leading up to half-time, with former Stevenage striker Lee Boylan forcing U’s keeper Sam Walker to make his first save of the match and then blasting over from close range, soon after.

Colchester fielded an entirely different side in the second half and were gifted a fifth goal, just before the hour mark.

When Gavin Massey picked up a stray cross-field pass midway inside the Swifts half he still had plenty to do.

But he showed great composure to advance towards goal before planting a clean finish past Sambridge.

Dominic Vose scored what was arguably the goal of the night just after the hour mark when he cut in from the left and beat several Heybridge defenders, before tapping into the net from close range.

Jabo Ibehre made it 7-0 two minutes later when he controlled Massey’s pass well before smartly beating Sambridge, who denied Colchester an eighth goal when he saved well from Sammie Szmodics.

But Ibehre finished well in the closing stages to score his second of the game and round off a huge win for Colchester.

COLCHESTER UNITED (first half): Walker, Clohessy, Okuonghae, Kent, Gordon, David Wright, Moncur, Drey Wright, Watt, Sears, Holman.

Second half: Lewington, O’Donoghue, Thompson, Eastman, Olufemi, Eastmond, Gilbey, Szmodics, Massey, Vose, Ibehre.