Game Summed Up Season: Williams

Colchester United manager Geraint Williams believed this afternoons 5-1 thrashing at Norwich summed up the U's miserable campaign.

Ex-Colchester front-man Jamie Cureton scored a hat-trick for the home side, as Kevin Lisbie notched a consolation strike for the U's.

Post match Williams said: 'Watching that game was like watching our season, in a nutshell.

'We played well at times, created some good chances - but at the other end we defended poorly and conceded five goals.

'Then one of our players limps off towards the end through injury. It's very disappointing, but we just have not been good enough defensively today - and we were punished by a good Norwich side.

'Seeing Jamie score three like that was no surprise, because if you give him chances like that he will stick them away.

'What we should have done was deny him the chances - but we couldn't do that. The lads gave their all but it wasn't good enough.

'Until it is mathematically impossible for us to stay up, we won't accept anything,' he added.

'There are a lot of points to play for as well as our pride, and whenever the players cross that white line for Colchester there will be a job to be done.'

Norwich manager Glenn Roeder said: 'I think that was a result waiting to happen.

'We could have easily scored two or three goals in our two previous games - but unfortunately we didn't take the chances we created and lost both of them.

'The boys never lost their self-belief and they got a deserved victory today.

'This was just one of those days when everything seemed to go right for us.

'You don't often get that in football and when it does happen you have got to enjoy it,' he explained.

'Jamie has done what he is paid for today and has done more than enough to deserve his wages.

'But he's also missed a few recently as well - and if he fails to convert in front of an open goal then I'm going to criticise him. He's taken his chances today - and I'm very pleased with that.'