From the moment the U's opened the scoring in the 14th minute, they were always going to win this match - and with it the Harwich Charity Cup Centenary Shield.

Manager Mick Wadsworth fielded a team with only one player over the age of 19 for Tuesday night's game.

That player was captain Warren Aspinall who marshalled the midfield and proved, at this level, he is a class - if not two - apart.

Part of Everton's 1987 Championship-winning squad, Aspinall bustled his opponents when without the ball, and when it was at his feet he sprayed it wherever he wanted.

He and teenager Thomas Pinault, who did his first-team claims no harm at all, both starred in the midfield against the Jewson Leaguers who also have their fair share of up-and-coming players this season.

It was Pinault who opened the scoring, latching on to Steve Germain's defence-splitting ball and lobbing outcoming keeper Darren Gould.

The alert Gould was the Shrimpers' star and had it not been for him, the U's would have run out comfortable winners.

In the end they had a fortunate second goal to thank. Sean Hillier's 20-yard effort took a wicked deflection off Matt Carmichael to wrong-foot Gould midway through the second half.

The game was given an exciting finale when Harwich substitute Trevor Lewis tapped in with 11 minutes left.

And Lewis might have grabbed a shock equaliser two minutes later, but Andy Walker saved well.

Harwich: Gould, Calver, Carmichael, Henry, Mann, Harvey, Beasley, Newman (Lewis 71), Young, Marks, May.

U's: Walker, Metcalf (Robinson 67), Hillier, Farley, Gyoury, Wiles, Aspinall, Webster, Germain, Opara, Pinault.

Colchester's Sean Hillier tussles for the ball with Harwich's Matt Carmichael

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.