Colchester United’s U18s fell to a 6-4 defeat against their Ipswich Town rivals after nine first-half goals were scored in a crazy contest.

Having suffered three heavy defeats in four of their recent games, conceding 17 times, the U’s began well as Ewan Gordon-Clement broke and teed up Kai Martin, whose shot was saved by Charlie Binns.

Town threatened for the first time as Tommy Taylor found Rio Oundrie Morgan but Harrison Chamberlain got down to save, before Taylor fed Afi Adebayo whose cross flew across the box.

Ashton Boswell linked with Chuks Uzor but Andrew Palmer Brown headed the latter’s effort off the line, only for Taylor to drive a low shot past Chamberlain to open the scoring on five minutes.

Bailey Berry blocked another Taylor attempt but Uzor glanced a header inside the near post from a corner on 11 minutes to make it 2-0.

And when a Colchester attack was halted, Town broke through Steven Turner, who was upended in the box, and Oundrie Morgan netted from the spot.

Colchester came back and saw Alex Kokoshi’s deflected free-kick find the net on 17 minutes, after he had been fouled, before Samson Uwandu had a shot blocked.

But another deep cross from the left was headed in by Ashton Boswell to put the hosts 4-1 up on 23 minutes, before Turner nodded home a fifth just two minutes later.

Uwandu replied from the spot after being fouled in the box, with Martin and Kokoshi making way for Burak Sabah and Alfie Newby soon after.

Jamie Arnold had two shots blocked before Uwandu deflected in a third for Colchester on 39 minutes, with Morgan putting a chance over for Town soon after.

And it was a one-goal game on 44 minutes when Gordon-Clement crossed from the right and, after the keeper failed to deal with it, Sabah found the net.

Binns beat away Gordon-Clement’s shot after the restart, then denied the same player with another save low down by his left post.

Uzor had an effort from a corner blocker, before Chamberlain saved from the same player, and after Uwandu sent his attempt over, Sabah found Kokoshi whose shot was saved.

Town struck again on 65 minutes, though, after a foul by Makhaya James saw the resulting free-kick played back to Nick Nkansa Dwamena, who crossed for Henry Curtis to glance  home a header.

Uzor headed wide at the far post, with Gordon-Clement off-target from Sabah’s cross at the other end.

And Binns made another superb save from Kokoshi, before Sabah’s deflected shot went wide of the mark and Newby headed high and wide.

Ipswich: Charlie Binns, Nick Nkansa Dwasena, George Chenery, Henry Curtis, Afi Adebayo, Steven Turner, Ashton Boswell, Emmanuel Okunowo, Tommy Taylor, Chuks Uzor, Rio Oundrie Morgan. Subs used: Jamie Mauge, Luke Towler, Sidney Eldred; unused: Alan Fleischer and Revin Domi

Colchester: Harrison Chamberlain, Andrew Palmer-Brown, Bailey Berry, Makhaya James, Max Jolliffe, Alex Kokoshi, Kai Martin, Alex Kososhi, Samson Uwandu, Ewan Gordon-Clement, Jamie Arnold. Subs used: Alfie Newby, Burak Sabah, Rashaad Douglas, Rammel Ellington; unused: Jayden Peglar.