EVEN though Colchester United bowed out of the Carling Cup last night, beaten on penalties by hosts Wycombe Wanderers following a 3-3 draw after extra-time, manager John Ward remains happy with his team’s free-scoring start to the season.

EVEN though Colchester United bowed out of the Carling Cup last night, beaten on penalties by hosts Wycombe Wanderers following a 3-3 draw after extra-time, manager John Ward remains happy with his team’s free-scoring start to the season.

The U’s bagged four goals in a 4-2 win at Preston on Saturday, and came from 2-0 down to at one point lead 3-2 at Wycombe, thanks to goals from Kayode Odejayi, Ian Henderson and a Steven Gillespie penalty.

In the end, the Chairboys scraped through 5-4 after a penalty shoot-out, with Michael Rose seeing his penalty saved by Nikki Bull. All the other spot kicks were converted.

But Ward was not too disheartened. He enthused: “We played some very good football, from our point of view and our supporters.

“It is just disappointing for the lads that we will sit and watch that Cup draw on Thursday night and think what might have been. But it’s not for us.

“We will now focus our attention to Saturday, when we take on the same side (Wycombe) again (in League One).

“There were two good teams trying to play really good attractive football, and you would have been hard pushed to discover which league this was, if you turned up. It was pretty good football for the third tier of any country.

“It was a test for the team, going two behind, as were Preston’s goals coming back against us on Saturday.

“Away from home we have scored seven goals in the last two matches, so it’s so far, so good,” added Ward.