Second-half goals by Scott McGleish and Ross Johnson were enough to defeat a strong Dagenham and Redbridge outfit.
The Daggers featured former Luton Town striker Mark Stein and ex-Ipswich star Mark Brennan in their line-up last night (Tuesday).
And not even the introduction of former U's favourite Steve McGavin in the second half could spoil Colchester's day.
McGavin, who is expected to sign a contract with the Victoria Road club this summer, came close with an 18-yard strike which was tipped wide by keeper Simon Brown.
And it was Brown who stole the show with a string of top draw saves as he stakes a claim for the number one job.
Colchester started with three at the back - Ross Johnson, Scott Fitzgerald and Simon Clark - with Joe Keith and Joe Dunne in wing-back roles.
The maturing Thomas Pinault partnered Kemi Izzet in midfield with Micky Stockwell behind the front two of McGleish and Kevin Rapley.
But it was the home side who made much of the early running with Stein and Junior McDougald giving the defence a torrid time.
Brown athletically tipped over a McDougald header after ten minutes and the Us keeper was on hand moments later to block Stein's angled drive. The visitors started to create more chances in the second half as their dominance told.
They took the lead in the 51st minute when a cross from Pinault was hooked back into McGleish's path by Stockwell, and the former Barnet man made no mistake.
It was fitting reward for McGleish, who led the frontline well in the face of a physical Dagenham rearguard.
The Nationwide Conference side nearly got back on terms in the 60th minute when a thunderous strike by Danny Hayzelden was kept out by Brown.
Rapley should have done much better when he blasted wide with an open goal at his mercy after a poor goalkeeping clearance from Paul Gothard. Johnson sealed the win for Colchester as he netted from close range following a goalmouth scramble in the 72nd minute.
Substitute Dean Morgan looked lively after coming on and he was unlucky not to score when his free header was wonderfully saved by Gothard in injury time.
Former U's striker Tony Lock was an unused substitute for the Daggers while midfielder Scott Forbes was injured and Jack Wignall didn't figure.
DAGENHAM: Gothard, Rooney, Hayzelden, Goodwin, Heffer, Brennan, Gallagher (Janney, 45), Terry (McGavin, 58), Stein, McDougald, Hill.
COLCHESTER: Brown, Dunne (Gregory, 56), Keith, Fitzgerald, R Johnson, Clark, Stockwell, Pinault, McGleish (Morgan, 61), Izzet, Rapley.
Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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