WAPPING IV 8

COLCHESTER 1

East Men's League division two south

COLCHESTER'S depleted men's first team moved a step closer to relegation after falling to a heavy defeat at Wapping.

The Garrison-based side had 11 players unavailable for the game and were only able to field ten players against the hosts, who are just above them in the table.

That included goalscorer Richard Chapman, who played for almost the entire game with a hamstring injury suffered in the first few minutes.

The heavy defeat leaves Colchester on the brink of relegation, with three games of the season remaining.

Colchester skipper Dean Campbell said: "It was unfortunate that we had so many players out but they were all genuine reasons like family and work commitments and injuries.

"The ten players we did have included a 13-year-old Charlie Speck, who made his first start.

"He did really well and it was a shame it wasn't in better circumstances.

"It didn't help with Chappers pulling his hamstring in the first five minutes, so we had nine players effectively as all he could do was point away in the circle.

"Despite the final result, it was a fun game and Wapping were nice guys and could see the difficulties we had and chose not to rub it in our faces.

"It's mathematically possible for us to still stay up but the teams down there will be playing each other and the teams are around us have all got games in hand, so we have to be realistic about it."

Colchester kept Wapping out for the opening 15 minutes but the hosts then scored three times.

However, the visitors kept battling away and pulled a goal back when Chapman touched home from Richard Sexton's pass.

But Wapping scored a further three times in quick succession in the minutes before half-time, to lead 6-1 at the break.

And although Colchester kept working hard and giving everything in the second half, the hosts hit a further two goals to wrap up victory.

Colchester's men's second team are on the brink of promotion from division five, after they beat Witham III, 4-1.

But in the same division, the club's men's third side lost 5-2 at Romford.

Colchester's fourth team were 3-2 winners over Witham V, in division eight.

In East Women's League division one, Colchester were beaten 2-0 at home by Bury St Edmunds.