There can be few Football League teams who can match Colchester United for entertainment value at the moment.

And for Tony Humes and his players, the most satisfying thing is that they are now reaping the rewards for their enterprising performances.

Gillingham arrived at the Weston Homes Community Stadium last weekend with a spring in their step; with a top-of-the-table status and an unbeaten record to protect.

But they fell on their sword against a vibrant U’s side, who are pretty irresistible to watch at the moment.

Free-scoring Colchester have now netted 12 goals in their last five league and cup matches, form that has lifted them to within three points of the play-offs.

They have turned on the style and while that might mean they are sometimes a little open at the back, the product they are providing is currently more than making up for any defensive deficiencies.

So what’s been the main reason for the U’s transformation in fortunes?

After all, it's not so long ago that they went their first five league games of the season without a win, with a measly five goals to their name.

It would perhaps be too simplistic to attribute Colchester’s improvement purely to their recent signings.

But the quartet of new faces they have brought in have undoubtedly injected energy, experience and quality into an already talented squad.

Owen Garvan and Marvin Sordell, along with loan duo Callum Harriott and Jamie Jones, have crucially all hit the ground running for the U’s.

Quite simply, they have been a breath of fresh air.

Sometimes a team needs a little helping hand in order to unlock the potential that is clearly already there.

And Humes and the club deserve credit for identifying such talent and bringing it to the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

After helping them record back to back wins by turning on the style, the key is for the new additions and the rest of the U’s squad to achieve some consistency and show that their exciting recent form is not merely a flash in the pan.

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