Danny Cowley hails effort of play-off chasing Colchester

Danny Cowley commended his in-form Colchester’s “incredible effort” after they beat Fleetwood 3-0 to rack up a fifth straight League Two win.

Second-half goals from Lyle Taylor, Owura Edwards and Jack Payne sealed the U’s home victory, moving them into the play-off positions.

Colchester boss Cowley said: “It was a really good performance and a really good day for us.

“It’s been a good two weeks and to get five wins in 14 days has been an incredible effort, from everyone involved, of course the players but the staff as well and our brilliant supporters.

“Don’t underestimate how hard today was, because when you’ve played a fifth game in 14 days against a team that’s had a clear week and a full week to prepare, it becomes really tough physically and really tough mentally.

“But the way that we implemented the game plan and the boys ran for each other was brilliant and they got what they deserved.

“In any game, there’s a period where you have to see it through and dig deep and we did that and we got back together at half-time, made a couple of little tweaks and it just gave us a really good control, in that second half.”

The first half was goalless, with little to choose between the two sides.

But Taylor gave Colchester a 55th-minute lead when he fired home from close range, after being picked out by Harry Anderson in the area.

And Edwards made it 2-0 in the 59th minute when he fired a shot under Jay Lynch and in, following Mandela Egbo’s pass.

Payne sealed Colchester’s victory in the 85th minute with a superb strike from the edge of the area, as the hosts claimed victory.

Fleetwood boss Pete Wild said: “It was really frustrating.

“In the first half, we had the better of the play, we had the better of the opportunities but ultimately not taken those opportunities.

“At half-time, it was very much a case of let’s make sure we keep things tight and defend properly and our chances will come.

“I thought in the first 10 minutes of the second half we did that but ultimately, when they got the first goal, we just didn’t play to the levels that we should play to, I think is the most positive way of putting that.

“I felt that when they’d scored the first goal, Colchester, without doing a lot, controlled us and our opportunities at goal became not great, for want of a better word.

“We didn’t really have that attacking threat that we’d had, first half.

“We tried to bring subs on to liven that up but sadly, that wasn’t the case.”