IPSWICH Town loanee Billy Clarke never scored during his short loan spell with Colchester United, but he is warming up for a goal or two against the U's this evening!

Carl Marston

IPSWICH Town loanee Billy Clarke never scored during his short loan spell with Colchester United, but he is warming up for a goal or two against the U's this evening!

Tricky front-runner Clarke, who usually operates down the left flank, scored a hat-trick on his debut for Northampton Town on Saturday.

Clarke scored his first after just two minutes as the Cobblers coasted to a 5-1 home win over bottom club Crewe. Now the Irishman is focusing on a return to Colchester, where he had a loan stint towards the end of the 2005-06 season.

“It's a brilliant feeling to score a hat-trick. Now bring on Colchester!” enthused Clarke, who made six appearances for the U's during Geraint Williams' regime.

“Hopefully, I can keep on scoring. I suppose I could have done slightly better against Crewe, I could have scored four! But roll on Colchester.”

Former Colchester midfielder Luke Guttridge is the only absentee this evening. Guttridge, who was released by the U's last summer, remains sidelined by a calf strain.

Otherwise, the Cobblers are at full strength.