How carried away should we get by Colchester United’s win against Gillingham?

It was as comprehensive a win as U’s fans can probably expect to see this season.

Their team passed the ball with skill and precision to completely outplay the Gills.

This was after all a Gillingham side that had beaten promotion-chasing Wolves in their previous game, but they couldn’t live with Colchester. It was, in short, exactly the type of performance that boss Joe Dunne is looking for.

But one swallow does not a summer make.

Dunne quickly put the result in context and made the point that it’s a single game.

This is after all a man who probably still feels the raw disappointment of a 4-0 hammering by Notts County before Christmas and the 2-1 defeat by Crewe.

He knows the fickleness of football and its fans and will be prepared to accept criticism if his team under-perform at Carlisle next weekend.

So he rightly said to take a step back when assessing the performance against Gillingham – they aren’t the finished product yet.

However, I think Dunne and his players deserve more than qualified praise.

If it was an unexpected performance that had come out of the blue then maybe I’d agree with his caution.

But this was a display that showcased what Dunne is trying to achieve at the club.

It was a glimpse into what – all U’s fans hope – will be the future of the club.

Attractive passing football that stifles opponents and has goal threats at the end of it and it was no accident that it happened here.

The team is working hard to try to make it happen every week and the fact that it worked here should give cause for plenty of optimism.

Dunne’s caution probably comes from the realisation that his team are a work in progress rather than the finished article.

But the benchmark has been set now.

The arrival of a single swallow may not be a licence to slap on sun cream and put summer clothes on, but it at least gives an encouraging indication of what may be to come.