HAYDEN Mullins praised his Colchester United players for a professional performance following their 4-0 win at AFC Sudbury, in the FA Cup.

The U's progressed to the second round of the competition, following a comfortable victory over their Pitching In Isthmian League division north neighbours.

First-half goals from Brendan Wiredu and Freddie Sears set Colchester on their way, at the MEL Group Stadium.

And Sylvester Jasper and substitute Shawn McCoulsky added further goals in the second half in front of the live BBC TV cameras, to see the visitors safely through.

Mullins said: “The job from start to finish I thought was a good professional one.

“I asked the boys to respect the opposition, to give us a professional performance and it was a potential banana skin.

“The atmosphere was fantastic and if you let the home team get a head of steam, I think it could be a difficult evening.

“I thought the boys did really well and carved out quite a lot of chances and on another day, if you’re not focused you can let it slip and they can get in the back door.

"The thing that I wanted the boys to do was to try and control the game.

"We had an inkling that they might try and sit off and try and defend deep and hit us on the counter.

"I wanted the boys to stay calm and to stay focused on what we were trying to do.

"I knew that they chances would come - the hardest thing is to take them and to score the goals but eventually we did it.

"We got a couple of goals in a short space of time.

"They started the second half really well and we tried to take the sting out of the game and control it a little bit more, higher up the pitch."

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Wiredu's first goal of the season set Colchester on their way in the 36th minute when he converted following Noah Chilvers' deflected cross.

Mullins said: "Brendan has got a little bit more licence to get himself in the box and I think that'll getting a goal will give him a bit more confidence.

"He's a talented boy - he's got loads of energy and he needs to use it and really force the opposition back.

"He's hard to stop when he gets a head of steam up and starts driving with the ball and can really run past people.

"He can win the ball, he's good in the air and the final bit is to add goals to his game and he did that tonight."

Sears then added to Colchester's lead three minutes later, scoring with a fine strike from Wiredu's assist.

"It was a fantastic goal," said Mullins.

"Freddie's got real quality and his movement is so clever.

"He's a nightmare for defenders to pick up, especially when all the bits are going on ahead of him.

"That last bit that you need from the number nine, the movement, is so clever and he gets his chances."

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Jasper added a third with 18 minutes remaining, curling home a fine shot into the far side of the net from a difficult angle, from Armando Dobra's short corner.

Mullins said: "Sylv and Dobs have been fantastic, in the last couple of games.

"Dobs got one against Scunthorpe and Sylv deserved his goal."

Colchester wrapped up their victory in the closing stages through substitute McCoulsky, who netted on his U's debut with a neat first-time finish.

Mullins said: "We wanted Shawn to do the same job that Freddie was giving us in and around the box and be that last pass and he did that.

"It was great work by Luke (Hannant) down the right and Shawn got himself a goal.

"It was a confidence for him and hopefully we can build on it."

Colchester's win brought to an end AFC Sudbury's fine run in this season's competition.

Mullins added: "They were fantastic - from start to finish, they really looked after us, as soon as we got off the coach.

"It was well organised, great atmosphere and they were a credit to themselves."