Brace from Marcus Maddison sinks unlucky Colchester United at Posh

Colchester United shipped two goals in quick succession to suffer defeat at Peterborough this afternoon.

All three goals came within a crazy five-minute spell, sparked off by Macauley Bonne’s opener for the U’s on the half-hour mark.

But Marcus Maddison then struck twice, on 31 and 34 minutes, to sink the U’s.

Bonne broke the deadlock with his fourth senior goal, in what was only the 19-year-old’s sixth league start of his career.

It was a slick move from the U’s, Darren Ambrose sliding a pass through for Gavin Massey, and the winger whipping over a pinpoint cross for Bonne to sweep into the roof of the net, from six yards out.

But the U’s lead lasted for just 60 seconds.

Maddison’s cross-cum-shot, from the left wing, looped over Elliot Parish and into the far corner of the net for a lucky equaliser.

But Posh were then gifted a second soft goal in the 34th minute, as Parish allowed Maddison’s rather innocuous 20-yard drive to slip past him and into the net. That was a bad error by Parish.

The U’s searched in vain for an equaliser in the second half, and home keeper Ben Alnwick was lucky to stay on the pitch (60 minutes) when he appeared to handle outside his penalty area, with Gavin Massey threatening to score.

Alnwick escaped with a yellow card.

U’s boss Tony Humes had made just one change to the side that drew 2-2 against Blackpool in the League One opener last weekend.

Chris Porter was sidelined by an ankle injury – the same problem which caused him to miss the midweek defeat to Reading in the League Cup – and so was replaced by Bonne up front.

Keeper Parish retained his place in goal, with Sam Walker set for an operation on his damaged cruciate ligament this week.

Walker is expected to be out of action for six to nine months, and so will probably be sidelined for the season.

There was no out-and-out striker on the bench this afternoon, with Dan Holman having gone out on loan to Conference club Woking for a month.

The U’s bossed the early possession, but it was Peterborough who created the first scoring opportunity, in the ninth minute, when striker Conor Washington stabbed wide at the near post from Kgosi Ntlhe’s cross.

The visitors finally threatened in the 17th minute. Richard Brindley whipped over a teasing cross from the right flank, but it was just a little too strong for the onrushing duo of Bonne and Darren Ambrose, the ball drifting behind for a goal-kick.

Three minutes later and action switched to the other end, with winger Harry Anderson firing narrowly over the bar with a 25-yard rocket,

Otherwise, chances were at a premium inside the first half-hour, George Moncur hardly troubling keeper Ben Alnwick with a long-range daisy-cutter in the 28th minute.

But it all suddenly burst into life, with two goals inside a minute, and in fact three in just five minutes.

Bonne swept home Massey’s cross in the 30th minute, only for Maddison to grab an equaliser out-of-the-blue, from an acute angle, less than 60 seconds later.

Maddison then squeezed another shot past Parish, this time a straightforward 20-yard drive – the U’s keeper should have saved that one – to put Posh 2-1 up on 34 minutes.

The U’s were understandably rattled, and were holding on at times before half-time.

Posh striker, Joe Gormley, caught Matt Briggs very late with a challenge and was duly booked. Briggs was unable to shake off that knock, and so was replaced by Kane Vincent-Young before the end of the first half.

Into the second period, and Bonne screwed a shot wide from a promising position on 48 minutes, while Ambrose blasted an angled shot off target just five minutes later.

Posh had a lucky let-off on the hour mark when Alnwick scurried outside his penalty area and seemed to handle the ball, with Massey threatening to score. However, the home keeper escaped with a yellow card, rather than a red one.

This feeling of injustice spurred the visitors into action. Gilbey had a goal-bound shot blocked, and Ambrose then blazed over from close-in on 63 minutes.

Another error by Parish nearly led to a third Posh goal, on 78 minutes. The U’s keeper completely missed his punch, from Maddison’s cross, but Gormley could not capitalise from inside the six-yard box.

Squads

PETRBOROUGH: Alnwick, Adeabyo-Rowling (sub Santos, 38), Zakuani, Davey, Nthle, J Anderson (sub Collinson, 69), Bostwick, H Anderson (sub Taylor, 79), Maddison, Washington, Gormley. Unused subs: Henry, Brisley, Vassell, Coulibaly.

COLCHESTER: Parish, Brindley, Wynter, Eastman, Briggs (sub Vincent-Young, 45), Edwards (sub Szmodics, 79), Gilbey, Moncur (sub Sembie-Ferris, 64), Massey, Bonne, Ambrose. Unused subs: Lewington, Elokobi, Wright, Kent.

Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire)