Nick Sandamas sees Barnet slip to a heavy defeat at Colchester

Weston Homes Community Stadium, home of Colchester United FC — Credit – **DBColUtd** via Wikimedia Commons

Colchester United 4 Barnet 1

Jack Payne’s fine second half hat-trick for Colchester blew Barnet away and also enabled his side to leapfrogged them in the table, as the Bees (with manager Dean Brennan serving the third of a nine match touchline ban) suffered back-to-back league defeats for the first time since August.

For the Bees, yesterday’s defeat on the road was their joint heaviest of the season alongside their Vertu Trophy loss at Luton earlier in the campaign.

Led from the bench again by coaches Connor Smith and Jerome Okimo, Kane Smith and Ben Winterburn were the only changes from the defeat by Swindon last time out and it was the visitors who started the brightest with Nnamdi Ofoborh testing U’s keeper Matt Macey.

Smith would only last half an hour, going off with injury to be replaced by Joe Kizzi coming.

Following a tense start, it took until the 37th minute for the U’s to create a chance with Kyrese Lisbie running through on goal. With defenders breathing down his neck, he could only shoot straight at keeper Ciaran Slicker.

Then, two minutes later, fine U’s play led to the opener: Teddy Bishop split the defence with a fine through pass to Arthur Read who lashed his effort beyond the dive of Slicker.

However, in the second of seven minutes of first half stoppage time, the Bees levelled when Harvey Araujo put in an inch perfect pass towards the far post for the unmarked Ofoborh to score easily.

There was still time for another chance just before the half time whistle with a corner finding Bishop who, on the stretch, could only fire his shot past the post.

The U’’s made a double change during the interval and within seconds of the restart created an opportunity: Rob Hunt’s effort beaten away by the diving Slicker with the rebound eventually coming to Payne but he could only blast his hurried shot wildly over.

Short of the hour mark, a quick breakaway by Ryan Glover found Ofoborh but his low drive was easy for Macey.

The unfortunate Nik Taveres had to depart due to a niggle soon after with left back Phillip Chinedu replacing him.

Taveres’s absence for the remaining half hour plus seemed to give the U’s the edge and, with fifteen minutes to play, a clumsy foul by Danny Collinge on Jaden Williams resulted in a penalty which Payne dispatched easily and before you could blink Payne was at it again for a fine finish to give the U’s a two goal cushion with a clever dink over the onrushing Slicker.

The Bees miserable afternoon was completed in the fourth minute of added time, Payne completing his hat trick (his second treble of the season) to end a good afternoon’s work for Danny Cowley’s fired up U’s.

For the Bees it was a tough day in Essex and, with Brennan not able to return to the touchline until the final game in March against Cambridge, it’s starting to look a bit worrying, especially as prior to his ban they were looking good for a tilt to charge towards the top seven.

Next up is the long journey north to face Accrington Stanley on Tuesday hoping for an improved performance.

Team: Slicker, Smith (Kizzi 29) Collinge, Tavares (Chinedu 60), Senior, Glover, Hartigan, Winterburn (Hawkins 46, Howland 80) Ofoborh, Tshimanga, Kanu (Adeniran 80)

Subs not used: Evans, Assombalonga

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