Colchester United head coach John McGreal on superb Salford win

COLCHESTER United head coach John McGreal was delighted with his side’s all-round display after they claimed a superb 2-1 win at Salford City.

Eye-catching goals from Kwame Poku and Callum Harriott gave the U’s all three points at a rain-sodden Moor Lane, despite Ash Hunter’s strike just before half-time giving the Ammies hope of a second-half revival.

Colchester were forced to defend deeply in the second half but they did so superbly to seal the win and move to sixth spot in the League Two table.

McGreal said: “It’s a brilliant win for us and that’s all it is – it’s three points.

“We needed to react from our performance (at Port Vale) last week.

“We’ve had a brilliant week of training and the boys have got their heads down and worked hard.

“We’ve seen the flak and we’ve improved our positive and healthy position by getting three points.

“We scored two outstanding goals and in the second half, we stood up to the test against a side who are flying high and have just got to Wembley.”

The Salford pitch had to pass two inspections in order for the game to go ahead, after heavy wind and rain lashed in throughout the day.

But the U’s completed a fine win, watched in front of 430 of their fans who had made the trip from Essex.

“We’ve been here since 8am,” said McGreal.

“We knew there was a pitch inspection and because of the work that we’ve done this week and the travelling fans; we know how far it is for them to be turning back.

“Once we got here this morning the pitch was unplayable.

“We asked the groundsman to get a bit of work on the pitch and we knew there was four or five hours work on it.

“So I’ve got to thank the groundsman to get the pitch ready for us and I’ve also got to thank the fans.

“Even late on there they threw everything at us; there was a thunderstorm in the midst of it and gale-force winds with hail and snow in the middle of it but with that defending, the fans were an absolute credit to us.

“They came in their numbers and when fans turn up like that, it gives us that extra step and your big time players turn up.”