Hull City Under-21s returned to winning ways with a 4-0 victory over Colchester United at the MKM Stadium.
Finishes from Aidon Shehu, Zane Myers, Harry Vaughan and Hugh Parker gave City all three points in the Professional Development League.
Lead Professional Development Phase Coach Conor Sellars made four changes to his starting XI to the one that faced Bristol City last time out. First-team winger Doğukan Sinik came in for vital minutes in place of Pharrell Brown, while Ramell Carter, Rocco Coyle and Brandon Harriman-Annous were the other changes, replacing Paul Iggulden, Kyle Fanning and Nathan Tinsdale respectively.
City looked to begin the game quickly as Harriman-Annous skipped away from the challenge of Ronnie Harvey before testing Jude Sadler in the Colchester goal, before Callum Yam saved in the other goal to deny Oil Godziemski.
The City captain then started a great counter attack as he caught a Colchester corner and distributed the ball quickly to Sinik. The Turkish international drove down the left wing from inside his own half and crossed the ball for Myers at the back post, but his volley flew over the bar.
On 15 minutes, City netted the opener as Harriman-Annous’ cross was not fully cleared away by the Colchester defence. The ball fell kindly to Shehu to strike his low volley first time from range into the bottom corner.
Three minutes later, City had a second as Coyle’s pass and Hugh Parker’s hold-up play released Myers down the right wing. Skipping past the defensive challenges of Colchester, the winger powered home his right-footed finish from close range.
The wingers of Myers and Sinik continued to create chances as Myers teed up Sinik to shoot, but his effort from a tight angle was saved by an onrushing Sadler, before Colchester had a flurry of attacks at the other end.
Harry Revill and Stan Ashbee produced big blocks perp to Hakeem Sandah firing wide. Yam then denied both Alfie Newby and Kien Connolly, while Coyle struck wide from 25-yards with his free-kick.
Sadler had his palms stung by a powerful strike from Myers before Stan Ashbee saw his effort from distance deflect wide as the Tigers kept creating chances in the first half. Vaughan fired wide while Sinik, Myers and Ashbee were all denied by Sadler as the first-half drew to a close.
In a planned substitution to begin the second half, Brown came on for the Tigers in-place of Sinik, but immediately, they were on the defensive as Yam held Sandah’s attempt before Daniel Banjoko fired wide from Max Jolliffe’s pass.
Good link-up play between Carter and Brown saw the latter test Sadler from range before City netted a third on 67 minutes. Parker’s pass out wide for Brown saw the winger pick out Vaughan, who took one touch before drilling his low finish into the bottom corner.
Brown continued to torment Colchester’s defence as his skill allowed him to skip away from a challenge before finding Myers on the opposite flank, but his finish was beaten away by Sadler. City netted their fourth on 74 minutes as a perfect through pass released Parker to delicately chip the onrushing Sadler to score.
After Brown searched for a fifth, blazing over from inside the penalty area, Coyle produced two stunning blocks to deny Colchester. First, Frankie Edwards played in Connolly, but Coyle’s sliding challenge deflected the forward’s effort onto the crossbar.
Joliffe then received Revill’s clearance high up the field to play in Connolly, who rounded Yam, but the striker could not beat a sliding Coyle who stopped the ball going over the goal line.
In injury time, Colchester’s Joliffe was found by substitute Thomas Avgoustidis, but his near post finish was saved by the feet of Yam to preserve the clean sheet.
Hull City U21s: Yam (C); Shehu (Fanning 87’), Revill, Ashbee, Carter; R. Coyle, Harriman-Annous (Iggulden 81’); Myers, Vaughan, Sinik (Brown 46’); Parker (Jagielka 81’).
Sub Not Used: Hopper.
Colchester United U21s: Sadler; Emery (Avgoustidis 79’), Edwards (C), Abidekun (Bethmann 64’), Newby; Harvey, Banjoko (Martin 64’), Sandah; Joliffe, Connolly, Godziemski (Nkrumah 79’).
Sub Not Used: Sexton.
