Wood chop down Colchester in Trophy stroll

Meadow Park had barely settled into its seats when Dylan Byrne took the game by the scruff of the neck. Four minutes in, he was on the end of a move that sliced Colchester open and finished with the kind of composure that belied the third tier. Eight minutes in, he turned provider, sliding in Luis Portas to double the lead. Game over, and we were barely into the first quarter.

The Bristol Street Motors Trophy has a habit of throwing up these mismatches, and Boreham Wood treated it with the disdain of a side with bigger fish to fry. The team sheet told the story: eight changes from the side that has been grinding out results in League One. Regulars like Richard McDonald, Sean Unsworth and Roy Johnson were given the night off, and the understudies did not disappoint.

Byrne was the star, pulling the strings from midfield before being replaced at the break with the job done. His goal and assist inside eight minutes settled any nerves, and from there Wood simply managed the game. Colchester huffed and puffed, but four shots on target and a measly 0.24 expected goals tell you everything about their threat.

Liam Thomas in the Wood goal made four saves, but he was rarely troubled. Jacob Deguara was a rock at the back, five interceptions and 67 of 74 passes, and he took a booking for the team in the 17th minute. Barry Murray, playing out of position on the right wing, did his cause no harm before his own yellow card in the second half.

The second half was a non-event, as Wood's changes disrupted their rhythm and Colchester's substitutions failed to spark a fightback. Harry Gamble came on at the break for the visitors, but the game was already gone. Lee Roberts, once of Boreham Wood, started on the right wing but never threatened his old club.

So Wood march on in the Trophy, and the fringe players have given the manager food for thought. The big names will be back for the league, but nights like this show the depth of this squad. Colchester, meanwhile, are left to focus on their League Two campaign, and on this evidence, they'll need all the help they can get.