Colchester 5 Crostyx 1

East Men's League

Premier B

Colchester 5 Crostyx 1

COLCHESTER consolidated their mid-table position with a comfortable win against lowly Crostyx on Saturday.

The home side started the game full of purpose and were soon ahead when Matt Brown fired an unstoppable drag flick into the bottom corner of the goal.

Colchester doubled the advantage from their next corner when Craig Warriner deflected home to put the finishing touch on a smooth routine.

The visitors barely ventured into Colchester territory, on the rare occasions they did, their attacks were easily snuffed out by the home defence which was well marshalled by sweeper Tony Elston and keeper Martin Beaver.

Colchester soon put the game out the visitors reach with two further goals before half time. The first was the result of excellent build-up play from Rohan Khaira and Warriner and was finished off coolly by Brown.

Khaira made it 4-0 just before the break when he collected Warriner's pass and fired the ball low into the bottom corner.

Colchester took their foot of the gas in the second half and the game turned into a turgid affair with the visitors content with keeping the score down.

Brown still found time to complete his hat trick when he beat the visiting keeper with another powerful drag flick from another corner.

In the dying seconds Crostyx scored a consolation goal from their only short corner of the game, which did little to take the gloss of the Colchester victory.

Colchester will travel to Watford this Saturday to take on relegation threatened West Herts II, confident of another three points.