U's pair make a case for the defence

Stuart Watson

COLCHESTER United defender Paul Reid didn't see his side's late winner hit the back of the net at Hereford because he was too busy worrying about keeping a clean sheet at the other end.

The 27-year-old - who broke his kneecap back in March - made his first start in over eight months on Tuesday night in Colchester's 2-0 league win over Stockport.

And the Cumbrian capped a perfect week on Saturday as the U's recorded their second win and clean sheet in five days courtesy of John-Joe O'Toole's dramatic stoppage time winner at Hereford in the FA Cup.

“Personally I didn't see John-Joe (O'Toole) running onto it at the end,” said Reid.

“I was starting to run back because I was waiting for them to break. It would have been easy for him to slash at it but he took it well.”

Colchester's defence had begun to wobble in recent weeks - the Essex side conceding two goals in their games against Millwall, Exeter and Oldham - however Reid remains modest about his role in the side's return to clean sheet form.

He said: “That's two games back for me now and two clean sheets so it couldn't be going any better.

“Is that down to me? I'll have to let other people be the judge of that! I've only been back for two games and it's the lads before me that have got us into this position.

“I've had to be patient and bide my time, but hopefully in the last two games I've proven I'm back to full fitness.”

Meanwhile, U's keeper Ben Williams was equally delighted with his side's second successive clean sheet.

He said: “It has been disappointing to concede a few goals recently so, as a defensive unit, we are very pleased to have kept two clean sheets in a row now.

“Some will say that it's the best way to win, while others will say we left it a bit late.

“Ideally we would have liked to have scored early on, but I think the late goal shows how hard we are working in training and how fit we are.”