COLCHESTER United attacker Ian Henderson has admitted that the U’s were caught cold by Sheffield United’s rip-roaring start in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane.

COLCHESTER United attacker Ian Henderson has admitted that the U’s were caught cold by Sheffield United’s rip-roaring start in Saturday’s 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane.

The U’s were two-down inside the first 12 minutes, conceding goals to strikers Ched Evans and Chris Porter, and they never really looked like finding a way back into the game.

Henderson also confessed that the U’s would find it difficult to compete on level terms with the likes of Sheffield United and Charlton.

“We didn’t start very quickly. They were well organised and they caught us unawares,” explained Henderson.

“We need to work on our defending as a whole team.

“We did create chances ourselves, but we were not very clinical.

“We worked their goalie (Steve Simonsen) on numerous occasions and it could have been one of those games that ended 6-3 to them.

“Clubs like Sheffield United are on a different level to us, we are a smaller club compared to them. But we are going to try and work hard to try and compete with them.

“You never know, with regards the top six, because you can string a few results together and then fly up the league. It’s really, really open.”

Sheffield United manager Danny Wilson was understandably delighted with his side’s performance: “You can’t complain when you win 3-0 at home, maybe it could’ve been a few more but we’re not complaining at all.

“Fans want to see an aggressive start, and we did just that. We were at Colchester right from the kick-off. I felt throughout the game that we were always a threat, and the most pleasing part of it was creating lots of chances.”