V for a derby victory.

In the Easter sunshine, striker Jamie Cureton celebrates netting Colchester United’s second goal in what proved to be a very tasty lunchtime treat on Good Friday.

Much like the sultry weather at Roots Hall that day back on April 6, 2007, Cureton and the U’s were red hot against their Essex rivals Southend United.

In front of the Sky TV cameras, Colchester produced a dominant display to chalk up a 3-0 win, a triumph that lifted them up to ninth place in the Championship table.

Geraint Williams’ side got off to a dream start, scoring after less than a minute to stun the majority of an Easter crowd of more than 10,000.

Cureton neatly turned into the net in the opening seconds, after a mistake by former U’s loanee Efe Sodje.

And things got even better for the visitors and their supporters when Cureton fired into the bottom corner from long range, just after the hour mark.

The prolific striker then wrapped up his hat-trick – and Colchester’s victory – with 11 minutes remaining, clipping the ball past Shrimpers’ keeper Daryl Flahavan to seal their first league double over Southend for 21 years.

It proved to be a comprehensive triumph for a Colchester side that also featured the likes of Wayne Brown, Kevin Watson and Johnnie Jackson.

It was another milestone moment in what proved to be a historic first-ever season in the second tier of English football – and the victory gave the U’s genuine hope of clinching an unlikely play-off spot, with five games of the season remaining.

An impressive return of seven points from their next three matches against Leeds United, Hull City and Sunderland boosted their confidence further.

But back-to-back defeats in the final two games of the campaign against Stoke City and Crystal Palace ultimately put an end to the U’s dream of a potential promotion to the Premier League, as they finished just six points off the play-offs.

Nevertheless, it was an outstanding season for Colchester, who finished as the best-placed East Anglian club for the first-time ever while Cureton ended up as the Championship’s Golden Boot winner, after bagging an impressive 24 goals.