Colchester United talking points from victory at Gillingham

Super Samson

YOU could just tell just how much Samson Tovide was itching to get back on the pitch for Colchester United even before kick-off, at Priestfield Stadium.

The talented teenager was prowling around the perimeter of the pitch in his U’s training attire long before his team-mates emerged for their pre-match warm-up, prior to the Gillingham clash.

Having served a three-match ban, Tovide was back and raring to go and made up for lost time with an impressive individual display, in Colchester’s 3-0 triumph.

He capped his performance with a extremely well-taken strike and gave the Gills defence a headache throughout.

"Samson is really coming on," said U's boss Ben Garner afterwards.

"He's always been a threat but he's working hard technically and he's adding goals to his game, so huge credit to him and how hard he works and how much he's working hard as a player."

Change is good

With a maximum of five substitutions now permitted in the EFL, it’s now increasingly important that any changes made during a game are the right ones.

And Ben Garner got them spot on against Gillingham.

The game was finely balanced at 0-0 with the second half ten minutes old when the U’s boss made his move from the touchline, sending on Alex Newby and Bradley Ihionvien for Junior Tchamadeu and Joe Taylor.

It was a positive move and Garner was rewarded nine minutes later when another substitute, Fiacre Kelleher, who had earlier come on to replace the injured Nico Lawrence, fired Colchester ahead.

It was the springboard for the U’s to go on and register a comprehensive victory, with Newby and Ihionvien both playing their part.

Impressive Ihionvien

HAVING made his first-ever professional start for Colchester United just seven days earlier, life got even better for promising striker Bradley Ihionvien at Gillingham.

The 19-year-old came off the bench to play his part in the U’s victory, capping his performance with a superbly-taken first-ever league goal for the club.

Ihionvien showed huge composure to latch onto Will Greenidge's pass, spot Gills keeper Jake Turner off his line and nonchalantly lift the ball over him and into the vacant net, to send the visiting U’s fans into raptures.

"Over the last six weeks, Brad has really come on," said U's boss Ben Garner.

"Hopefully, that will be the first of many for Colchester United."

Ihionvien was beaming after the game and rightly so, after scoring his first-ever senior goal in such style.

Lawrence concern

THE sight of Nico Lawrence being stretchered off with an ankle injury after the half-time whistle at Gillingham was a sad one to see, particularly given how well he has settled into life at Colchester United.

The 19-year-old has looked assured at the back for the U’s since arriving on loan from Championship club Southampton and has impressed with his composure on the ball and reading of the game.

Lawrence has undergone an X-ray and Colchester will be hoping that the extent of the injury is not as bad as first feared, given the amount of concern there was for the player from worried U’s fans at the time.

A heated discussion

THE brief exchange of words that took place between Colchester boss Ben Garner and talented youngster Junior Tchamadeu in the second half of the win at Gillingham was another example of the passion and desire to win that exists within sport.

Tchamadeu appeared frustrated at being substituted, something that played its part in the discussion that followed in the technical area between him and his head coach and the reigning U’s Player of the Year departing down the tunnel.

Garner has since played the incident down, stating that it happened in the heat of the moment.

“It will stay between me and Junior - it was a personal conversation," said the U's boss.

“There’s nothing in it – he’s a great kid and it just sometimes happens in the heat of the moment, when emotions are high."

It is easy to forget that Tchamadeu is still only 19 years old; such an incident is all part of the learning curve for a player who has the potential to reach the very top of the game.