John McGreal hails Colchester’s ‘brilliant’ victory over lowly Macclesfield

Colchester head coach John McGreal described his side’s 2-1 triumph over Macclesfield as a “brilliant” victory.

The U’s are 13 games unbeaten in Sky Bet League Two and below the play-off places on goal difference, after two goals in three first-half minutes paved the way for their win.

Colchester took a 14th-minute lead when Callum Harriott looped a magnificent 30-yard shot into the net.

And the U’s doubled their lead two minutes later when Fiacre Kelleher sliced Kwame Poku’s low cross into his own net from close range.

Macclesfield pulled a goal back in the 72nd minute when Ben Stephens scored with a sweet volley from the edge of the area, after Colchester had only partially cleared – but the hosts held out.

McGreal said: “I’m delighted for the boys – it’s a brilliant win.

“I thought we were very good in the first half-hour.

“It was a great goal by Cal (Harriott). The technique and the dip on the ball was excellent and it’s a fantastic strike.

“It was good play for the own goal. We were on the front foot; we came off it a little bit at 2-0 but then we started the second half and were unlucky not to score again.

“There were a couple of offsides that didn’t go for us and we didn’t deal with a couple of long balls coming in, hence with the goal that they scored.

“That just put a little bit of disappointment on it, because the goal changes all types of emotions in the last 20 minutes and you could feel the tension.

“We had to try and relieve that pressure, rather than add to it.”

Mark Kennedy suffered defeat in his first match as Macclesfield boss but was nevertheless pleased with the endeavour of his side, who sit two points off the bottom of the table.

Kennedy said: “I thought it was a really scrappy game and an ugly game.

“There were a lot of technical breakdowns but I thought that it was incredibly competitive.

“I wish it was a prettier game of football but I said to the lads at the end that with 10 minutes left, I’m not too precious to put free-kicks and things into the box from deep areas.

“I thought we were a little bit naive in the first half in terms of them being aggressive down the wings and really hurt us down the sides.

“It was clever play from them by their wingers.

“We got into some great positions today but on at least eight occasions, we’d done the hard bit but the next bit is the release of the ball and the type of run.

“We could have really hurt Colchester today and that was frustrating – but the endeavour from the lads was incredible.”