Goals from Doug Loft and Louis Dunne helped Colchester United beat Maldon and Tiptree 2-0 in their opening pre-season friendly at a humid Park Drive this afternoon.

The U's fielded close to completely different sides in each half against their Bostik League division one north opponents, as they got their pre-season friendly campaign off to a winning start.

Right-back Ryan Jackson made his debut for Colchester after signing from Gillingham on a free transfer, last month.

The U's took on a Maldon side that included a host of trialists, as they begin to carve out their squad for the new season.

Colchester, wearing their brand new away green kit, had a plethora of chances in the first half, with Loft's low 25-yard effort gathered by the Maldon keeper who also denied Tommy O'Sullivan.

Drey Wright was also denied from close range and Sean Murray also went close for the U's, before Loft's fine effort flashed inches past the post just after the half hour.

Colchester eventually made the breakthrough they deserved a minute before the break through Loft, who fired in a fine 20-yard shot low into the bottom corner to give the U's the advantage at half-time.

Colchester made wholesale changes at the break, with Frankie Kent the only player to remain on the pitch for them along with Sammie Szmodics, who had come on as a substitute for Denny Johnstone on the half hour.

The U's doubled their lead ten minutes after the interval through Dunne, who converted from close range after Craig Slater's effort had been spilled by the Maldon keeper.

It was almost 3-0 soon after when Macauley Bonne's header bounced off the crossbar from Dunne's cross while Kane Vincent-Young had a goalbound shot blocked, as the U's went in search of more goals.

Maldon fired a free-kick over before the end from 25 yards but in the hot conditions, the tempo of the contest inevitably slowed in the closing stages as Colchester claimed victory over their non-league opponents.

Colchester United (first half): Barnes, Jackson, James, Kent, Eastman, Edge, Murray, Loft, Wright, O'Sullivan, Johnstone (sub Szmodics, 30).

Second half: Walker, Vincent-Young, Wynter, Kent (sub Eastman, 65 (sub James, 80)), Kinsella, Lapslie, Slater, Sembie-Ferris, Szmodics (sub trialist, 66), Dunne, Bonne.