U's power through to semi-finals (From Gazette)

U's power through to semi-finals

9:16pm Wednesday 14th January 2009 in Sport By Jonathan Waldron

Colchester United thrashed AFC Hornchurch 6-0 tonight to progress to the last four of the Essex Senior Cup.

And on a night when the fog descended on Essex, a goalkeeper named Brightly picked the ball out of his net at frequent intervals.

Hornchurch custodian Dale Brightly was beaten six times in the Weston Homes Community Stadium gloom, as a strong U's side put their Ryman League premier division opponents to the sword with a dominant performance.

Jamie Guy needed only 69 seconds to mark his return to Colchester with a goal, following a loan spell at Oxford United.

And further strikes rained in from the U's, in a one-sided first half.

Ten of the Colchester team have tasted first-team squad action in the past, with only youngster Sam Corcoran lacking any senior experience.

He grasped his opportunity with both hands though, scoring twice in the space of 15 first-half minutes.

Goalkeeper Dean Gerken and striker Steven Gillespie, who played for an hour, continued their recovery from injury as did left-back Matt Lockwood, who returned to action following a serious knee problem.

Matt Heath, Phil Ifil, Anthony Wordsworth and John White, who skippered the side, all featured, as did Guy who made his first Colchester appearance after returning from a loan spell at Oxford United.

Guy put Colchester ahead in the second minute, tapping home Fabian Batchelor's cross from close range, after Wordsworth had spread the play with a cross-field pass.

And Gillespie was also given the freedom of the penalty area five minutes later to stab home Corcoran's long delivery.

Corcoran made it 3-0 after 15 minutes with a 20-yard effort that Brightly could only parry into the net and five minutes later, Guy added another for the U's when he latched on to Corcoran's low threaded pass to score.

Hornchurch almost pulled a goal back midway through the first half when Ross Wall crashed a shot against the underside of the crossbar after 15 yards, after shaking off Heath's challenge.

But it was Colchester who scored the game's next goal on the half hour mark when Corcoran's hopeful long-range effort eluded Brightly and ended up in the net.

The fog cleared in the second half and Hornchurch enjoyed more of the posssession.

But the U's still looked the more dangerous.

Guy came a lick of paint away from claiming a hat-trick when he fired Gillespie's low cross against the near post, in the minutes that immediately followed half-time.

Guy tested Brightly again midway through the second half with a fierce effort and the Urchins goalkeeper also saved from Lockwood and substitute Michael Rafter.

The U's finally added to their lead with 13 minutes to go through young substitute Shane Stamp.

He made no mistake, firing in low and hard after Hornchurch had failed to clear their lines to wrap up a convincing victory for Joe Dunne's side.

COLCHESTER UNITED: Gerken, Ifil, Lockwood, White (sub Griffiths, 61), J Hammond, Heath, Batchelor, Corcoran, Wordsworth (sub Rafter, 61), Guy, Gillespie (sub Stamp, 61). Subs (not used): Malton, Cusack.

AFC Hornchurch: Brightly, Coyne, Goodfellow, Purdie, McFarlane, Tomlinson, Barnard, Janney, Lee, Wall, Gray.