Three late strikes finally broke the resistance of ten-man Colchester United and secured Southend United a 3-0 victory in the Essex derby.

Former U's midfielder Anthony Wordsworth, Blues captain Adam Barrett and Sam McQueen all found the net to inflict defeat on the visitors, who had played more than half of the game with only ten men following Alex Gilbey's first-half red card.

Colchester started marginally the better of the two sides, at a blustery Roots Hall.

However, they experienced an early scare when Stephen Hendrie’s hooked effort from a corner scraped the outside of the post in the 18th minute.

Nevertheless, Colchester more than held their own in the first half and Owen Garvan’s low curled effort was saved by home keeper Dan Bentley.

At the other end, U’s right-back Richard Brindley’s attempted cross was touched onto the bar by Bentley, nine minutes before half-time.

But Colchester were left up against it seconds later when midfielder Gilbey was shown a straight red card by referee Oliver Langford for a strong challenge on Ryan Leonard, midway inside the Southend half.

Sam McQueen’s shot flashed just wide of the near post but the U’s kept battling and George Elokobi poked George Moncur’s free-kick wide at the near post, as the first half finished goal-less.

Colchester made a change early in the second half, sending on Matt Briggs for Gavin Massey.

But they received a let off soon after when Tyrone Barnett’s near-post effort went just wide, after Sam McQueen had crossed into the area.

George Moncur’s goalbound effort deflected off Cian Bolger but the hosts went close just after the hour when McQueen flashed a header just wide from six yards following Will Atkinson’s cross.

McQueen went close with a header just after the hour mark and Colchester were forced to increasingly defend deeper, as the clock ticked down.

But Colchester's resistance was broken with eight minutes remaining when substitute Wordsworth fired a low, 20-yard shot past Parish and into the net.

With two minutes remaining, Barrett headed in from Jack Payne's corner to make it 2-0.

And McQueen tapped in a third in stoppage-time after Payne had been denied by Richard Brindley, to condemn Colchester to defeat.

For five pages of coverage of the U’s game with Southend, see Monday’s Daily Gazette.