Colchester United 5

Forest Green 1

A Robbie Williams lookalike is due to strut his stuff at the Community Stadium next month, and it was Colchester United who did all the entertaining with an emphatic five-star display on a day to forget for a below par Forest Green.

It was certainly the proverbial bad day at the office for Rovers, who have now leaked 12 goals in their opening four Football League Two games.

Colchester were in ruthless mood from start-to-finish as they registered their first win of the embryonic league season.

Earlier, boss Mark Cooper made two changes from the 4-3 victory over Yeovil Town. Mark Roberts, signed from Cambridge United, took his place alongside Alex Iacovitti in a new-look centre-back pairing. Manny Monthe dropped to the bench and Jack Fitzwater missed out through injury.

Cooper's side were caught cold inside five minutes. Charlie Cooper’s crossfield ball to Scott Laird was intercepted by Colchester’s Kane Vincent-Young and his dart forward allowed Kyle Reid to stab home from short range.

Rovers couldn’t find their rhythm and found themselves 2-0 down on 21 minutes. Reid arrowed over a ball for Frankie Kent to loop a header beyond Brad Collins. However, Rovers pulled one back just two minutes later. Captain Liam Noble wrapped his foot around the ball from the edge of the box to beat Sam Walker after Luke James had fashioned the opportunity.

It was end-to-end as the game drew to a first-half conclusion. Noble opened up the home side for Christian Doidge’s stab to bring out the best from Colchester keeper Sam Walker. Brad Collins responded in equal measure as he gloved a deflected Reid fizzer past the post.

Rovers replaced Reece Brown at the break with Drissa Traore and switched to a back three. But it was Colchester who started on the front foot – Lewis Kinsella watching his thunderbolt deflect off Roberts and rattle the bar.

Rovers were agonisingly close to parity – Roberts just a football boot from getting on the end of a Cooper corner. Nonetheless, Roberts found himself in the book after clipping the elusive Drey Wright.

The second-half response Cooper wanted was over as Sammie Szmodics smashed home a 65th minute third after a brave block on the line from Laird off Mikael Mandron.

On a day of errors, Rovers were struggling to find their range and Noble’s stray 74th-minute pass gifted Kane Vincent-Young the chance to run from the halfway line and fizz beyond Brad Collins. That was Noble’s last slice of action as he headed off down the tunnel and to add more misery for the league newcomers, further salt was rubbed into the wounds when sub Courtney Senior bagged a stoppage-time fifth from an incisive break.

COLCHESTER UNITED 5

Reid 4, Kent 21, Szmodics 65,  Vincent-Young 74, Senior 93.

FOREST GREEN 1

Noble 23

Attendance: 3,047 (152)

Referee: Mr C Hicks

RATINGS out of 5

B Collins 2

Bennett 3

Iacovitti 4

L Collins 2

Roberts 3

Laird 2

Cooper 2

Noble 2

Brown 2

Doidge 3

James 2

Subs: Brown (Traore 4, 45),  James (Bugiel 63), Noble (Mullings 74)

Subs not used: Russell, Monthe, Evans, Wishart.

Bookings: Roberts (52), Cooper (94).

COLCHESTER: Walker, Kinsella, Lapsile, Kent, Wright ( Senior 84), Szmodics ( O’Sullivan 83), Murray, Reid ( Issa 63), Eastman, Mandron, Vincent-Young

Subs not used: Gilmartin, Kpekawa, James, McKeown.

Bookings: None

COMING UP: Forest Green entertain Newport County in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday, August 29, 7.30pm.