New boy Joe Garner produced the only goal to earn Town victory in their penultimate pre-season friendly at Colchester tonight. Garner took his tally in warm-up fixtures to an impressive six with a powerful header 12 minutes after the restart of a game that saw a total of 18 substitutions, all in the second half.

The summer recruit from Rangers was introduced at the break by boss Mick McCarthy and but for U’s keeper Sam Walker it could have been a more convincing result in Town’s favour.

Former club captain Terry Butcher was one of many visiting fans to miss the start because of traffic congestion at the A12 exit but there were still around 1,800 in place as skipper for the night David McGoldrick got the action under way — and it was anything but a low-key start as the visitors threatened straight away.

But although Conor McKendry looked to have a shooting opportunity just to the left of Colchester’s goal he elected to cross and the ball was easily headed clear by ex-Town youngster Tom Eastman.

In the sixth minute Dominic Iorfa’s unnecessary foul on Sammie Szmodics was rightly punished and from Sean Murray’s well-struck effort a couple of yards outside the area ex-U’s keeper Dean Gerken opted for a punch to safety.

Town survived a ninth minute scare when Adam Webster sent his headed clearance straight to the feet of Szmodics, who spared the defender’s blushes as his 20-yard effort flew well over.

In a matter of seconds Eastman, first given his senior debut during Roy Keane’s time in charge at Portman Road, produced a smart sliding tackle to dispossess young Ben Morris, who would have otherwise been through with only Sam Walker to beat.

McGoldrick won a corner that came to nothing before Mick McCarthy’s men came within a whisker of breaking the deadlock.

Walker raced a long way out of his area to clear but was left stranded as the ball ran loose for Danny Rowe, who immediately went for goal with an ambitious 40-yard lob.

The ex-Macclesfield winger was just inches away from following up his goal in the 2-1 defeat at Gillingham on Saturday as the ball cleared two home defenders and came down off the underside of the bar.

U’s youngster Cameron James was first to react but he only directed his header to the onrushing McKendry, whose nod was well off target and in any case Walker was able to grab the ball in mid-air as he arrived back in his goalmouth.

Midway through the first half Colchester earned a freekick after Adam McDonnell’s sliding challenge left Tom Lapslie in need of treatment from physio Tony Flynn.

McDonnell was given a ticking-off by referee Tim Robinson when the official would have probably opted to produce the yellow card in a competitive fixture. Gerken was able to gather Murray’s free-kick with no difficulty as he dived low to his left.

But soon afterwards Gerken was well and truly beaten and it needed a goal-line clearance by Myles Kenlock to keep out Eastman’s header before Iorfa headed behind for a corner.

When the ball arrived in the middle again Eastman had another opportunity to find the net but this time the big central defender leaned back to hook well over.

There was a lull of several minutes before McGoldrick picked out the unmarked McKendry with a long-distance crossfield pass but the 18-year-old wide man was high and wide with his shot.

Ten minutes before the break home defender Ryan Jackson, a summer signing after his release by Gillingham, had an opportunity to let fly but completely fluffed his shot and the ball rolled harmlessly wide.

McKendry controlled a fabulous long-distance pass from McDonnell and created the space to have a go but he dragged his firmly struck low drive yards wide of the target.

Manager McCarthy introduced three half-time substitutes and it took one of them, on-loan winger Bersant Celina, very little time to catch the eye.

Within two minutes of the restart he waltzed in from the left to set up Rowe, whose shot was deflected wide for a corner off James. The flag-kick was taken short by Celina to Kenlock, who picked out the Manchester City man’s run into the danger area but from his shot Walker produced an excellent diving save.

The home side hit back when Jackson went past Celina rather easily on the right and from his cross Webster got a vital touch to head clear with Mandron, rushing in behind the defender, looking a good bet to convert.

But in the 57th minute Garner netted the winning goal. Celina sent Kenlock clear to cross for the new recruit to leap above the home defence and direct a firm downward header past Walker from about six yards.

Town made seven substitutions in the 70th minute and before the end Colchester took their number of new faces to eight, and the closest thing to a second goal came just two minutes from the end.

An impressive, surging run and pass by the burgeoning talent that is Downes provided an opportunity for Sears but he was denied a goal on his return to his former club by Walker’s flying save at his near post.

Colchester: Walker, Eastman (Wynter 73), Kent, James, Jackson (Vincent-Young 73), Murray (Slater 79), Szmodics (Issa 79) , Lapslie (Loft 79), Kpekwa (Kinsella 63), Wright (O’Sullivan 79), Mandron (Johnstone 63). Subs not used: Barnes, Gilmartin.

Town: Gerken, Fowler (Chambers 46), Iorfa (Spence 70), Webster (T Smith 70), Kenlock (Knudsen 70) Rowe (Ward 70), Nydam (Downes 70) McDonnell (Bru 70), McKendry (Celina 46), McGoldrick (Sears 70), Morris (Garner 46). Subs not used: Bialkowski, Folami, Webber, Patterson, C Smith, Crowe.

Photo: TWTD

BlueandTruesince82 added 21:00 - Jul 26 Blueboy you miss my point. The above is not a defence of Mick so you can stay calm before you bring the caps lock out. My point is that we lose to Gillingham and its the end of the world yet when we beat Colchhester it's as if friendlies mean nothing. Now personally i don't think they do. To much experimenting and giving everyone a run out to mean anything, point is either they do, In which case we've won and all bar one (where a soft pen was given) and scored goals in the process or they don't in which case the complete over reaction to the Gillingham result is totally Unjustified (That's not saying we cant criticise, defence looks wonkier than a 3 legged donkey and we need that 4th striker, we all see that) What annoys is the way these things change depending on the spin the Mick is the devil brigade like to put on everything. We all pretty much agree a change is needed for a real promotion tilt and yes the football has been dire but you can't blame Mick for everything he is not route the of all evil (although I'll conceed his route 1 football may be) Your everthing is rubbish outlook is equally as false as the everything is brilllllliiiiaannntttttt brigade because the truth is that whilst everything is probably nearer your end of your scale at least things are inching the other way. Cheque book open this year, Good youngsters comming through, real effort being made by the club to reengage with the fans. Yes it needs to continue but equally we should applaud the club when it does do good things. As someone who has predicted we would finish bellow Yeovil and Burton in the last few years id suggest the club has performed above your expectations (If not your desires) so having predicted as such can you not find it in your heart to applaud them for having outstripped your projections? Now that's not me being satisfied with such positions, do not confuse the 2, I am merely saying you have been predicting relegation for 5 odd years and it hasn't materialised yet so it can't be as bad as even you would have us believe (though not still not good) and this say literally anything positive about the club at get accused of condoning failure lark really does border on the hysteria shown by a cartoon elephant spotting a cartoon mouse. Sometimes just a hint of balance and perspective from both sides wouldn't go a miss I guess is the general point im making here..... Surely not to much to ask?

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Brownie added 21:43 - Jul 26 Blueboy I don't like to personalise replies but what do you mean? Are you really saying that the most stubborn man in the world - MM - picked Bart under duress? If he didn't want to pick him he wouldn't. I want a change of manager. That said we need to be fair - Gerks is a decent back up & Bart is first choice assuming he is not sold to balance the books. I just think constantly ranting & calling out other posters with a different opinion is daft. As is always being negative regardless of the story.. COYB!

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blueboy1981 added 22:22 - Jul 26 BlueandTruesince82 ...... fact is I personally haven't predicted relegation once in 5 years, but I have constantly said that under McCarthy we will always be (and nothing more) a mid table Championship side. He will forever keep us up amongst that category because his dire recipe of Football .. !! - will always be capable of grinding enough points out for that to be the case. Brownie ....... in my opinion, it's obvious to most that Bart had to play out of his skin last season (saved us on many occasions) even possibly from relegation, it could easily be claimed. McCarthy makes it plainly obvious that his first choice would be Gerks, if it wasn't for Barts far superior ability - which even he couldn't disagree with. Quite simply there is no comparison - but I will admit Gerks is probably as good in terms of backup as we are likely to currently get. Surely you must be able to see that McCarthy has his favourites (all to obvious to miss .. !!) of which Gerks has to be seen as one.

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Brownie added 23:11 - Jul 26 Blueboy if Gerks is his favourite he'd pick him! I don't think Mick gives any consideration to our views. To a degree that's good as that is his job - make decisions. I am not a fan but can't hammer him for this. Playing Chambers at right back for 2 years is another story! I just hope we are wrong & this season is a positive one...
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BlueandTruesince82 added 10:01 - Jul 27 Oh come now blueboy, even if that's true predicting a.ginish below Yeovil and the Brewers (which I assure you did) is pretty much the same thing isn't it, We both know you are being a touch disingenuous there, with a smile on your face one suspects. As for favourites don't all managers have those? Isn't it the very nature of bring a manager? Now we can disagree with those favourites by all means but complaining that a manger has them is akin to complaoning that a river has flow. Doesn't matter where you go or what you do that will.be the case regardless. I also think Mick constantly talks Bart up (to the point where some here are so convinced he's getting sold that every knock or injury is a cover for his impending sale) so I think he's a pretty big Bart fan too

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