Danny Cowley hailed Lyle Taylor after the experienced striker scored twice in Colchester’s 3-0 win over Tranmere.
Taylor notched the 100th and 101st league goals of his career with a first-half brace.
He gave Colchester a fourth-minute lead when he converted from inside the six-yard box from Samson Tovide’s cross and doubled their advantage in the 38th minute when he decisively stabbed home from close range.
Tovide sealed victory in the 78th minute when he finished clinically past Luke McGee from Jack Payne’s precise pass.
Boss Cowley said: “Lyle made those finishes look easy, because he’s a quality player – he led by example.
“They say a week is a long time in football and it has felt like a long time, let me tell you.
“This time last week we were really disappointed with ourselves and we’ve had to live with that.
“That doesn’t define you – what does define you is how you respond and for us to respond with a win on Tuesday and a win today I think says a lot about the character of the group.
“We’ve worked all week for that clean sheet and I make no apology if we close the game down, we really wanted that clean sheet.
“It was a really honest, disciplined performance and I thought we did the basics of the game really well.
“Our defensive intensity, the aggression that we defended with, the focus that we had defensively, I was really pleased with.”
Tranmere substitute Kristian Dennis hit the woodwork late on and Colchester goalkeeper Matt Macey denied Harvey Saunders and Connor Wood.
But their boss Nigel Adkins said: “It’s never great to concede an early goal.
“We lost captain Tom Davies overnight with an illness and there’s been illness going through the camp.
“They’ve got the ball, we’re in a good shape and young Zak (Bradshaw) has just slipped a little bit and give them credit, because it’s a good ball through and it’s a good cross and a good finish.
“It’s how you respond when you go behind and the game was a bit stop-start.
“We’ve got ourselves in the game but then they go down the other end of the pitch and it was another good cross by them, to be fair, and another finish.
“We were well in the game second half but Regan Hendry mis-controls it, gets pounced on and they go and score and make it 3-0.
“It’s really annoying, as the players have been made well aware of, and goals change the complexion of games.”
[(River Plate) Strength]: 1. The two teams drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Copa Libertadores Round of 16. Returning to their home ground for this game, River Plate are united in their determination to beat Club Libertad and advance to the quarter-finals, with a strong desire to win.2. Red-hot River Plate kept unbeaten in the last 7 games with 4 wins and 3 draws. They beat Godoy Cruz Antonio Tomba...
[(NK Rijeka) Strength]: 1. NK Rijeka, powerhouses in Croatia, have a strong pursuit of honors. After dropping down from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, the team are eager to prove themselves in the UEFA Europa League, aiming to enhance their stature in European football and bring glory to both the club and their supporters.[(NK Rijeka) Weakness]: 1. NK Rijeka defender Mile Skoric will miss t...
[(KFUM-Kameratene Oslo) Strength]: 1. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo have achieved 7 wins, 5 draws and 6 losses in the league so far this season, scoring 29 goals and conceding 20 in 18 league games, and currently rank 7th in the league standings. The team will play at home in this game with great desire to win.2. KFUM-Kameratene Oslo's major forward Johannes Nunez has performed steadily in the team's front...
[(Vaasan Palloseura) Strength]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura have been in poor recent form. In this home match, they are motivated to rebound.[(Vaasan Palloseura) Weakness]: 1. Vaasan Palloseura drew 0-0 with HJK Helsinki on the road in the last game. They are on a 1-game winless run.2. Vaasan Palloseura were winless in 7 consecutive home games, failing to show their home advantage.3. Vaasan Palloseura co...
[(West Ham United F.C.) Neutral]: 1. West Ham United F.C. recently expressed their desire to sign their upcoming opponents Chelsea's player Andrey Santos, but their offer was rejected. Chelsea informed West Ham that they have no intention of selling the player.2. West Ham United F.C. scored 46 goals in 38 league games last season, averaging over 1 goal per game. However, their offense is still con...
[(Aberdeen F.C.) Strength]: 1. If Aberdeen F.C. can advance to the UEFA Europa League group stage, it would mark a historic milestone for the club. This huge honor will undoubtedly greatly boost the team's fighting spirit.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Neutral]: 1. The two sides have never met before, and there are no relevant track record available for reference at present.[(Aberdeen F.C.) Weakness]: 1. Aberde...
[(FC Bayern Munich) Strength]: 1. As the defending champions, FC Bayern Munich vow to make a good start in the new season. Facing old rivals RB Leipzig this time, FC Bayern Munich are eager to kick off the new campaign with a resounding victory.2. During the off-season, FC Bayern Munich have strengthened their squad by signing former Liverpool winger Luis Diaz and former Bayer Leverkusen veteran c...
[(Amiens SC) Strength]: 1. Teddy Averlant scored two goals for Amiens SC in the new France Ligue 2 season and is the top scorer of the team.2. After two rounds of the new France Ligue 2 season, Amiens SC have achieved an unbeaten record of one win and one draw, with good form.3. After two rounds of the new France Ligue 2 season, Amiens SC have scored a total of five goals, making them the team wit...
[(Lincoln Red Imps) Strength]: 1. Lincoln Red Imps scored 12 goals in the last 5 home games, revealing strong offense.2. Lincoln Red Imps conceded 4 goals in the last 5 home games, boasting decent defense at home.3. Lincoln Red Imps received 3 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss in the last 5 home games, with a win rate of 60%.4. Lincoln Red Imps ended only one of the previous 5 competitive games with an OVE...
[(Liga Deportiva Universitaria) Strength]: 1. After losing the first leg of the Round of 16 with a 0-1 scoreline, Liga Deportiva Universitaria will definitely go all out at home in this round, striving to level the score or even turn the tide. Their desire to win is extremely strong.2. Liga Deportiva Universitaria performed very well in domestic league this season, ranking 2nd in the league table ...


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