COLCHESTER United’s relentless first-half performance helped them claim an emphatic 6-0 victory in their pre-season game against Cambridge United, writes BEN MCCARTHY.

Danny Cowley’s side travelled to the Premier Plus Stadium, in St Neots, to conclude their pre-season programme and dispensed of a heavily revised Cambridge side.

Bradley Ihionvien opened the scoring, mere minutes into the encounter.

Jack Payne’s free-kick on the left wing found the 19-year-old, whose firm header floated into the roof of the Cambridge net.

Ihionvien got onto the scoresheet again, just five minutes later.

John Kymani-Gordon was found in space, down the right-wing and his charging run ended up with a cross inside Cambridge’s 18-yard box, which Ihionvien neatly found and put away.

Despite the team that Cambridge fielded, the U’s didn’t relent.

Lyle Taylor led a high-press and dispossessed the Cambridge backline, just outside their own penalty box.

The subsequent cross didn’t initially meet a player in blue and white, but Ellis Iandolo eventually received the ball and thundered his effort past Jack Stevens.

Just past the half an hour mark, Cowley’s side grabbed a fourth when Payne drilled his effort into the bottom-left corner of the net.

Then, four minutes later, Ihionvien was the centre of the U’s build-up, down the left-hand side.

His eventual, yet expertly delivered cross, found Tom Hopper, whose header slotted into the bottom-right corner.

At the break, Samson Tovide replaced Taylor while Cambridge boss Gary Monk made changes of his own.

Immediately, the U’s didn’t have the same freedom, nor tempo, as they did in the first half and the League One side’s added strength was clear.

But the U’s weathered the storm and on the hour mark, they went close to a sixth.

Yet again, Cambridge relinquished possession just outside their own box, but Ihionvien’s ferocious cross was too powerful for substitute Tovide, who was hovering inside the six-yard box.

Owura Edwards was one of a host of U’s changes and he made a profound impact.

The former Bristol City youngster carried a constant threat down the left-hand side and his efforts finally crystalized when his gleaming run afforded him the chance to cross the ball to Tovide, who completed the U’s rout.

Danny Cowley’s side will now have their sights set upon their trip to AFC Wimbledon.

Their League Two campaign starts against the Dons next Saturday, with hope that their clinical performance against Cambridge holds weight.

Colchester United starting XI: Macey, Hunt, Goodliffe (Kelleher 68’), Flanagan (Egbo 62’), Iandolo (Edwards 68’), Read (Woodyard 68’), Payne, Gordon, Hopper (Jay 79’), Taylor (Tovide 46’), Ihionvien. Substitutes: Smith, Kelleher, Tovide, Egbo, Edwards, Jay, Woodyard.