Colchester United's under-18s suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Hull City in the Professional Development League on August 22. The young U's were outplayed by a confident visiting side who scored once in the first half and added two more after the break.
This youth result comes as the senior Colchester United side finished 12th in England League Two last season, with 66 points from 46 games. Their final 2025 table standing showed 18 wins, 12 draws and 16 losses, with a recent form of WLLWW. The first team scored 62 goals and conceded 49, giving them a positive goal difference of 13. Top scorer J. Payne netted 13 times in 39 appearances.
How did Hull City score their goals?
Hull City opened the scoring in the 32nd minute through midfielder Alex Eady. The visitors doubled their lead early in the second half when right-back James Russell found the net in the 51st minute. Captain and defender Sasha Gomeniuk sealed the victory for Hull with 19 minutes of the match remaining, making it 3-0.
Colchester United goalkeeper Oscar Parker was busy throughout, tipping two set-pieces over the bar in quick succession and later pushing another effort over his crossbar. His opposite number, Kerr Reynolds, had a quieter afternoon but made important saves to preserve his clean sheet.
What chances did Colchester United create?
The young U's struggled to convert their opportunities into goals. Noah Kalema fired one effort over the bar and saw a volley comfortably caught by Reynolds. Luciano Maffei dragged a shot wide just a minute after Hull's opener and later had a well-struck shot saved. Nadim Dagher forced a corner with a deflected attempt, and Caiden Lewis saw a powerful header flash wide late on.
Defensively, Sam McCree made a key block to deny the Hull centre-forward and also stopped a 25-yard effort. The match report of this 3-0 loss was filed by Brian Waller for the Colchester Gazette.
What changes did Colchester make at halftime?
Head coach Dave Huzzey made two substitutions at the interval, reshaping his side in an attempt to get back into the game. Arthur Jacks came on at right-back and Judah Blair-Charles entered the midfield. This shift saw Caiden Lewis move to the left-back position. The changes meant the departures of starters Nadim Dagher and Sam McCree.
Other substitutes used during the match were Harry Morgan, Harry Cowley and Owen Warren. Oscar Roberts was the one named substitute who did not feature. The starting lineup included Noah Kalema, Sam McCree, Nadim Dagher, Luciano Maffei, Caiden Lewis, Keylan Ble, Harrison Palmer, Neo Lieu Smith, Ryan Mombo and Donte Frank in front of goalkeeper Oscar Parker.
What is next for Colchester United's academy sides?
Attention now turns to the next challenge for the under-18 squad. They are set to play their Premier Cup group opener at home against Millwall. This provides a quick opportunity to respond after a difficult result.
The senior team's context is different, having ended the 2025 League Two campaign 21 points behind champions Bromley. Fans can track the progress of all Colchester United teams, including upcoming academy fixtures, on our dedicated fixtures page. Detailed profiles for the club's players, from the first team to the youth ranks, are available on our squad section.
