COLCHESTER United eased to a 3-0 victory at Maldon and Tiptree this afternoon in their first pre-season game of the summer.
First-half goals from Teddy Bishop and Owura Edwards and a late header from Harry Anderson sealed the U's comfortable victory over their Pitching In Isthmian League division north opponents, in front of a crowd of more than 1,500 at a sultry Drewitt-Barlow Stadium.
Free agents Kane Vincent-Young and Anthony Scully both featured for Colchester in the first half along with new signings Jack Tucker and Will Goodwin and Tom Flanagan, fresh from signing his new contract this week.
Promising academy prospect Ronnie Harvey started in midfield while Oscar Thorn was at right-back for the U’s, against a Maldon side featuring former U’s trio Tom Eastman, Anthony Wordsworth and Cameron James.
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Scully scuffed a good chance wide from ten yards for Colchester in the sixth minute after Owura Edwards had headed Thorn’s deep cross back across goal, following a sharp burst of pace down the right wing by the right-back.
Goodwin then flashed a shot wide of the target for the U’s, who had a penalty appeal rejected when Harvey appeared to be brought down in the area.
Colchester broke the deadlock when Teddy Bishop finished smartly from close range, after John Kymani Gordon had done well down the right to set up the chance.
Gordon himself went close soon after when his shot was pushed wide by Jammers keeper Binns and Colchester kept carving out chances, with Edwards’ strike heading into the near post before keeper Binns deflected it wide for a corner.
Price and Sassi both had efforts go wide of the target for Maldon but Colchester continued to threaten and Thorn headed over, after Flanagan had helped the ball on.
Colchester had a goal disallowed in the 41st minute when Gordon converted Bishop’s delivery at the far post, only for it to be chalked off for offside.
But the U’s doubled their lead in the 44th minute when Edwards’ shot proved too hot for Binns to handle, following Goodwin’s lay-off.
Colchester almost added a third just before half-time when Gordon’s shot was parried away, as the visitors went in at the break 2-0 ahead.
Colchester fielded a completely different XI in the second half, with summer signing Jaden Williams featuring along with the likes of Frankie Terry, fit-again Harry Anderson and youngsters Max Jolliffe and Sammy Kuffour.
Williams almost got off the mark straight away when he dispossessed a Maldon defender in the area before shooting straight at the keeper.
Anderson shot tamely at Maldon’s trialist keeper against a home side who had introduced former U's favourite Freddie Sears at the break, along with ex-Celtic striker, Gary Hooper.
Colchester created fewer chances in the second half but they did spurn a golden opportunity to make it 3-0 when Williams blazed a penalty over, after the trialist had been fouled in the area.
But Anderson added a third in the closing minutes when he headed home from close range, following Kyreece Lisbie's excellent cross.
Lisbie saw his shot saved by the keeper late on, as Colchester eased to victory.
Colchester United (first half): Smith, Thorn, Tucker, Flanagan, Vincent-Young, Harvey, Bishop, Gordon, Scully, Edwards, Goodwin.
Second half: Chamberlain, Hunt, Kuffour, Terry, Iandolo, Read, Jolliffe, Anderson, trialist, Lisbie, Williams.
Maldon and Tiptree (first half): Binns, Yates, Eastman, James, Wordsworth, Egbri, Allan, Amir, Fraser, A Sassi, Price.
Second half: Trialist A, Littlejohn, Cawley, Arrowsmith, K. Sassi, McClean, Dunne, Allen, Egbri, Sassi, Sears.
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