DANNY Cowley believes it’s a ‘really exciting time’ to be a Colchester United supporter after they finished the League Two season with a thumping 4-1 triumph at Cheltenham Town this afternoon.
The U’s clinched 12th place and a top-half finish after a dominant display at Whaddon Road, as they rounded off the campaign in style.
U’s boss Cowley said: “It was a really good away performance from us and a really good way to finish.
Cheltenham 1 Colchester 4 - match report as U's finish with big win
“I think we saw some of our best football and what we’re capable of.
“We had a lot of young players on the pitch which bodes well for the future and it was a good day all round.
“I thought our fans were incredible, just incredible.
“That’s our second top-half finish as a club in the last two seasons and look how they celebrated – imagine if we actually won something or finished top of the division!
“The supporters have been brilliant all season and supported us unconditionally.
“We’re a team that take you to the very highs and also go to some lows – it’s just the make up of the group but I just think that they’ve stayed with us.
“Just to be out there and share some time with them at the end was great.
“I think it’s a season where we went into January and we really thought we’d be there or thereabouts but too many contact injuries have just got the better of us, particularly to key players like Ellis Iandolo, Tom Flanagan the captain and Micah Mbick and Ben Perry, just to name a few really.
“We’ll look back at a season of what could have been but you saw today what is possible for this group in terms of the quality of our play but we have to try to do it more consistently.
“I think that’s the challenge for us moving forward.
“It feels like a really exciting time to be a Colchester United supporter and we’ll have to see what the summer brings.
“For us, we love this club – it has a special part in our heart and we really look forward to what is to come.”
Cheltenham Town 1 Colchester United 4 - as it happened
First-half goals from Samson Tovide, Arthur Read and Harry Anderson put Colchester in command, at half-time.
And although George Miller reduced the deficit for Cheltenham early in the second half, Fin Barbrook’s first-ever EFL goal in the closing stages sealed a big away win for the U’s.
“It was really good play by Harry [Anderson] and Frankie Terry on the left,” said Cowley.
“Frankie just got his head up, played a lovely ball and Samson finished, pleased for him.
“We felt if we could shoot low and hard, it would be good against this opponent and so it proved.
“Harry’s got 12 goals now this season, all from about 10 yards in total if you add them all together!
“He just knows how to get in there.
“We say to the wingers all the time, how many times that with the nine getting across the front.
“Samson did a really good job getting across the front, stops the centre-halves from winning it and Harry is exactly where it matters and he had so much desire.
“The home team will always have a spell in the game, you always accept that.
“I think we could have put it out of sight with Jack [Payne’s] chance.
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“We think Jack is going to score and I think we have another one where Samson goes through as well.
“It’s probably our Achilles heel, defending wide free-kicks; I think we’ve given away far too many goals and it’s definitely something that we have to work on.
“I think we’ve given away more goals to wide free-kicks this season than I have in the 16 years.
“So, I think we have to go away and look at that.
“But I thought we managed to wrestle the control and the subs came on the pitch and gave us good energy and it was great for Fin Barbrook to score his first EFL goal.”
Cowley also had words of praise for centre-back Sam Kuffour Jnr, who capped his first-ever Football League start with a fine performance.
Cowley added: “I was so pleased for Sam.
“He’s a boy that was playing for Maldon and Tiptree this time, last year.
“He’s trained every day and worked incredibly hard on his game.
“He’s come back from a good loan at Hornchurch and he really deserved his chance.
“I thought he was excellent; I was really pleased with him.
“Even when they brought Mo Faal on who’s such a handful, I thought he dealt with him really well.
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“I’m proud of him and proud of Jack Tucker – every minute of every game.
“He’s had an incredible season and rightly picked up a number of awards at our awards evening on Thursday.
“He’s had incredible consistency, resilience and determination and robustness.
“I’m pleased for Max Jolliffe to get back on the pitch; he’s had a good season with some good loans so that was good for him, so there were a lot of positives.”
