Johnnie Jackson, Scott Vernon and Akanni-Sunday Wasiu were on target at The County Ground as the U's beat Swindon Town 3-1 to record their first League success this season.

Colchester recorded their first League victory of the season at The County Ground this afternoon. Johnnie Jackson and Scott Vernon deservedly put the U's two up at the break before Swindon repsonded midway through the second half with Simon Cox's penalty. With little time left, substitute Akanni-Sunday Wasiu scored his first ever U's goal to ensure United's victory.
Geraint Williams made one change to the side that had drawn with Huddersfield Town last week with Scott Vernon replacing the injured Steven Gillespie up front. Anthony Wordsworth, fresh from signing his new extended contract, kept his place on the left hand side while club captain Chris Coyne could only watch from the substitute's bench as Matt Heath and Paul Reid formed the central defensive partnership.
Swindon started brightly recording four early corners in the opening minutes of the game but from then on, it was all Colchester in their most impressive 45 minutes for some little time. Yeates and Vernon both had good chances to open the scoring while Wordsworth's goalbound header was only prevented from going in to the net by the knee of a defender.
The first goal came 32 minutes in from a former Swindon Town player. Johnnie Jackson had a spell on loan at The County Ground earlier in his career but that counted for nothing as he latched on to the impressive Clive Platt's knockdown with a left foot volley that had Slovakian keeper Peter Brezovan groping at thin air.
The U's needed, and it has to be said, deserved a second goal though and that came just before the break thanks to Scott Vernon. Jackson was involved though as put the ball in to the danger area, defender Jack Smith failed to deal with it and could watch as Vernon lifted the ball over the keeper to complete a satisfactory opening 45 minutes for U's boss Geraint Williams.
Swindon manager Maurice Malpas read his side the riot act at half time and made two changes would improved the home side no end. Jon-Paul McGovern and Michael Timlin made way for Marshall and Easton and bot substitutes caused the U's more problems in the opening twenty minutes than their predecessors in forty-five.
The Robins were far, far better after the break and gave the U's fans at the ground some nervous moments. McNamee's ball in to the box wasn't gathered by Gerken but thankfully cleared. However, another dodgy moment from the U's keeper saw him reprieved by the referee who disallowed a goal for the home side after John White's clearanace from Gerken's drop had smacked against Nallis and gone in to the back of the net.
Just after the midway point of the half though, Swindon did pull a goal back from the penalty spot. The refere spotted the use of a hand from a U's player and after taking his time, eventually pointed to the spot which allowed Simon Cox to send Dean Gerken the wrong way.
With quarter of an hour remaining Hammond came on for the injured Kem Izzet and he could only watch as Patrick Kanyuka thumped a corner against the U's cross bar with a powerful header. The ball bounced on the U's goalline before being gratefully cleared by the U's defence.
With five minutes remaining, Vernon was replaced by Akanni-Sunday Wasiu who was fully involved in the final minutes of the game and could, quiet easily, have had two goals to his name by the end.
His first chance came courtesy of a dreadful clearance by Swindon keeper Peter Brezovan but his long range shot with the keeper out of position found the side netting.
He made no mistake a minute later though as he opened his U's account. Yeates' ball over the top of the Swindon defence left Wasiu and Brezovan in a straight race for the ball. The 6ft 7" Slovakian missed the ball completely though which left the U's Nigerian striker the simplest task of rolling the ball into the empty net to secure the U's first win of the season.

Photo: Action Images

Colchester United Polls