U's slump to heavy defeat at Gigg Lane (From Gazette)

U's slump to heavy defeat at Gigg Lane

4:47pm Monday 9th April 2012 in npower League One Table & Results By Jonathan Waldron

Colchester United tumbled to a 4-1 defeat at a rain-sodden Bury this afternoon.

The U's conceded twice either side of half-time to lose at Gigg Lane, with Tom Eastman's first-ever career goal in the second half their only consolation.

Freddie Sears tested Bury goalkeeper Jonathan Bond in the opening minute with a fierce shot.

But U's keeper Ben Williams was also called into action soon after when he denied Peter Sweeney and gathered Mike Grella's weak effort, as the game developed into an open affair.

Williams also denied Steven Schumacher, before two goals in the space of three minutes just before half-time left Colchester with it all to do.

Grella stabbed home at the second attempt for Bury after Williams had initially saved Efe Sodje's header.

The U's goalkeeper made a superb save to deny Shaun Harrad, soon after.

But from Schumacher's resultant corner, Harrad hooked in after Williams had initially made a good save to prevent Odejayi from putting into his own net.

Things got even worse for the U's ten minutes after the break when Giles Coke emphatically finished, from Grella's pass.

And although Eastman pulled one back for the U's when he headed in Anthony Wordsworth's corner, Bury restored their three-goal advantage with 17 minutes to go through David Worrall, who drilled in superbly from Peter Sweeney's cross-field pass and the goal was allowed to stand, despite the U's appeals for offside.

The U's were unable to get back into the game and slumped to a heavy away defeat.

See Tuesday's Gazette for a full match report, pictures and reaction to Colchester United's defeat at Bury.