SOMETIMES it’s better to just keep your mouth shut.

SOMETIMES it’s better to just keep your mouth shut.

Brentford keeper Richard Lee would probably agree with that, after being forced to eat his words by Colchester United maestro Anthony Wordsworth at Griffin Park on Tuesday night.

Only last Friday, Bees No. 1 Lee had announced that he had never before been beaten by a direct free-kick from outside the penalty area. Yet the ex-Watford custodian obviously hadn’t bargained for the set piece mastery of Wordsworth.

The U’s midfielder’s spectacular 90th minute free-kick, which curled beyond a despairing Lee and into the far corner of the net, rescued a point for the visitors in a 1-1 draw.

When learning of Lee’s pre-match bravado, with the claim that he had never been beaten by a free-kick, Wordsworth replied – “He has now!”

Lee, 28, had talked about his prowess at saving long-range free-kicks in the build-up to Brentford’s fine 1-0 win at Wycombe, during which ironically he made a fine save from Andy Sandell’s goal-bound free-kick.

Lee had said: “I got a bit of stick off Bob (Oteng), the kit-man.

“I told him that I have never conceded a goal from a direct free-kick in my career, and I was having a joke with him about it. So when his (Sandell’s) free-kick came over the wall, I didn’t see it late. I thought he had done me, but I got my fingers to it and kept it out.”

However, Lee had no such luck in west London on Tuesday night, as Wordsworth’s sublime free-kick boosted his goal-tally to five for the season.

“I’m one up on Hendo now,” confirmed Wordsworth. Wide-man Henderson has netted four goals, three in the league, while all five of Wordsworth’s goals have been in League One.

Wordsworth continued: “The free-kick was a long way out and I just wanted to hit the target. I knew it was in as soon as I hit it.

“This was a big point for us, and a great result because we didn’t play that well.”

The U’s are lying in 14th slot, and once again they were indebted to some fine saves from keeper Mark Cousins to take any reward from Tuesday night’s clash.

The U’s face another tough trip this Saturday, to league leaders Sheffield United.

They will be without midfielder John-Joe O’Toole, who was sent off for a reckless challenge on Myles Weston at Griffin Park. O’Toole is expected to be hit with a three-game suspension.