The Gazette's U's writer Jon Waldron looks back on a memorable night for Colchester United's youngsters at Valley Parade

TWO years prior to becoming Colchester United's head coach, John McGreal linked up with Wayne Brown to lead the club's under-18s to an impressive Football League Youth Alliance Final victory at Bradford City.

The U's youngsters completed a fine league-cup double after beating Bradford City 4-2 back on April 29, 2014.

Sammie Szmodics hit a superb hat-trick and Macauley Bonne also scored as the U's youngsters were triumphant, in front of a crowd of 2,714.

It helped the U’s youngsters clinch a historic league and cup double and marked the emergence of several of their academy players.

Along with Szmodics and Bonne, the likes of Tom Lapslie and Frankie Kent also featured that night and went on to break into the first-team.

Colchester had taken a third-minute lead when Macauley Bonne scored from close range after Michael O’Donoghue pounced on James Pollard’s weak header in the area.

U’s goalkeeper James Bransgrove denied Dylan Mottley-Henry while Sam Wright’s header came back off a post from a corner, as Bradford responded well to the setback of going behind.

But Colchester doubled their lead six minutes before the break when Szmodics tapped in Bonne's pass at the far post.

Szmodics might easily have scored a third for the visitors a minute later when he sliced his shot with the goal at his mercy, after latching onto Jack Curtis’s through pass.

James King headed a gilt-edged chance over for Bradford shortly after half-time, before the hosts pulled a goal back when Oliver McBurnie tapped in Nathan Curtis's cross from close range.

Bransgrove parried Reece Webb-Foster's effort a minute later.

But Szmodics restored Colchester's two-goal cushion in the 65th minute when he superbly controlled Bonne's assist before firing a low shot past goalkeeper Elliott Barker.

And he completed his hat-trick in fine style when he ran from the halfway line and calmly went past Barker before slotting into the empty net.

McBurnie headed in a late second for Bradford but nothing could take the shine off Colchester's victory.

Colchester United under-18s: Bransgrove, Andrews (sub Brampton, 64), Kent, Moore-Azille, O’Donoghue, Lapslie, Harrison, Szmodics, Sembie-Ferris (sub Smith, 78), Curtis (sub Monk, 85), Bonne. Unused subs: Carroll, Gardiner.