U's are thrashed on final day of the season (From Essex County Standard)

U's are thrashed on final day of the season

4:51pm Saturday 5th May 2012 in Sport By Jonathan Waldron

Colchester United crashed to a 4-1 defeat at Notts County this afternoon at Meadow Lane.

The U's season finished on a low note when they were beaten by the Magpies, who despite their win failed to clinch a play-off place following Stevenage's win over Bury.

John Ward's side clinched a tenth-place finish in League One, after Hartlepool failed to win at champions Charlton Athletic.

Colchester fell behind midway through the first half when Jeff Hughes headed in from Alan Sheehan's corner, despite Michael Rose's attempts to clear off the line.

And the U's fell further behind after 32 minutes when Daniel Bogdanovic looped a header over Williams from Alan Judge's cross into the area.

Judge then got on the scoresheet himself with a superb long-range effort that sailed past Williams and in at his near post.

And it was 4-0 five minutes after the break when Kieron Freeman latched onto Lloyd Sam's pass and cleverly poked a low shot past Williams and in.

Anthony Wordsworth's fine free-kick hit the post before sailing across goal and away with nine minutes to go, before Wordsworth fired in a stoppage-time consolation for the U's when he lashed in from substitute Freddie Sears' cross.

But Colchester were heavily beaten, as they finished the campaign with a defeat.

See Monday's Gazette for more on this story and all of the latest Colchester United news.