Leyton Orient 0 Colchester United 2

BUOYANT Colchester United, oozing confidence, strolled to their fifth win from six league games under new boss Joe Dunne, at the expense of Leyton Orient tonight.

Goals from Anthony Wordsworth and Ian Henderson, in the 33rd and 51st minutes, secured another deserved victory in East London.

When Dunne took over, the U’s were in the bottom four and without a win in their first nine league and cup games.

Now they are climbing the table at a fair rate of knots (up to 12th spot), while also playing an attractive brand of football.

The 627 away fans who made the short trip from North Essex, to Brisbane Road, were certainly in good voice throughout another very satisfying evening.

Gavin Massey was the provider for the opener, just after the half-hour mark, squaring from the left edge of the box for Wordsworth to stroke home a first time shot into the far corner of the net.

It was an exquisite finish from Wordsworth, whose instinctive shot had just enough curl on it to beat the despairing dive of O’s keeper Ryan Allsop.

Henderson doubled the lead inside six minutes of the second half. Allsop found Craig Eastmond’s ferocious 20-yard drive too hot to handle, and Henderson was the quickest to react.

His first effort was parried by a sprawling Allsop, but the rebound struck an off-balance Henderson and rolled into a gaping net.

That goal really killed off the O’s, although Craig Wagstaff did have a consolation goal ruled out for offside.

Squads

LEYTON ORIENT: Allsop, McSweeney, Chorley, Clarke, Sawyer, Odubajo, Smith, Rowlands, Cox (sub Cook, 61), Brunt (sub Mooney, 61), Wagstaff. Unused subs: Jones, Baudry, Griffith, Symes, James.

COLCHESTER UNITED: Cousins, Wilson, Okuonghae, Eastman, Rose, Bean (sub Duguid, 83), Eastmond (sub O’Toole, 80), Wordsworth, Massey (sub Sears, 75), Ibehre, Henderson. Unused subs: Nkumu, White, Wright, Pentney.

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northants)

Attendance: 3,378