Colchester United went on the goal trail again tonight after beating Ryman Premier side Brentwood 4-0 in their latest pre-season friendly.

Gavin Massey scored twice and Macauley Bonne and Sammie Szmodics were also on target for the U’s against Dean Holdsworth’s side, in their second pre-season friendly.

Colchester started with the same team that finished against Heybridge aside from Richard Brindley, who replaced Tosin Olufemi at right-back.

New signing Joe Edwards captained the U’s in the first half, with Drey Wright starting on the left and Massey on the right, in a variation to the Swifts game.

Colchester soon warmed to the task and after Brentwood keeper Martyn Guest had denied Bonne, they took the lead in the 12th minute – and in some style.

Edwards’ cross-field pass was impressive in itself but the finish from Massey was sublime, a spectacular first-time volley that flew into the far corner and left Guest with no chance.

Colchester went on the hunt for more goals after that and after Massey and Szmodics had gone close, they went further ahead after 20 minutes.

Some good build-up play from the U’s resulted in Szmodics escaping down the left and picking out Massey, who side-footed home his second of the night.

Guest denied both Szmodics and Bonne in quick succession and although U’s keeper Elliott Parrish did well to push Sam Lechmere’s goalbound free-kick over the bar, it was mostly one-way traffic.

It was 3-0 when the impressive Szmodics went on a superb run before slamming a shot past Guest and into the top corner, ten minutes before half-time.

And barely a minute later, Macauley Bonne added a fourth after Massey had done well to set the chance up.

Massey was desperately unlucky not to complete his hat-trick just before the break when his shot from Matthew Briggs’ cross clattered both posts before rebounding to safety.

Colchester went in at the break leading 4-0 and fielded an entirely different side in the second half, as they used the contest to give all of their players an opportunity to build up their fitness.

Trialist Olly Lee got another 45 minutes to impress but the second period was a less eventful affair, with much less in the way of goalscoring opportunities.

However, the U’s almost extended their lead further with 15 minutes remaining when Guest parried George Moncur’s goalbound effort.

And Brentwood rarely looked like troubling goalkeeper Chris Lewington, as Colchester made it two wins out of two in pre-season.

COLCHESTER UNITED (first half): Parrish, Brindley, Wynter, Kent, Briggs, Gilbey, Edwards, Szmodics, Wright, Massey, Bonne.

Second half: Lewington, Olufemi, Eastman, James, Vincent-Young, Lapslie, Lee, Moncur, Sembie-Ferris, Holman, Porter.