Colchester 0 Leyton Orient 3
Paul McCallum proved the head boy for Leyton Orient in their latest pre-season outing against League One side Colchester.
The young striker netted with headers either side of the break before making way for Scott Kashket, who added a third with a confident finish of his own.
And there was a second-half run out for Welsh international Danny Gabbidon, as boss Ian Hendon looks to replace the departing Nathan Clarke at the heart of his defence.
Left-back Frazer Shaw looked to get forward in the opening stages and saw a cross for McCallum cut out by the home defence on five minutes.
Mathieu Baudry and Macaulay Bonne clashed before a Colchester corner and had to be spoken to by referee Graham, before McCallum nodded down a deep Bradley Pritchard cross for Simpson, whose effort was blocked.
Connor Essam was alert to block a Sammie Szmodics effort at the other end on nine minutes, before Baudry got in the way of a George Moncur drive.
But Graham had to step in again and have a word with McCallum and Frankie Kent, after they clashed off the ball, and Richard Brindley was spoken to after lunging in on the Orient striker by the touchline.
O’s went close to breaking the deadlock on 17 minutes when Dean Cox swung a free-kick into the box and Baudry glanced a header just wide of the far post, showing his frustration.
Brindley blazed over for Colchester, while Dion Sembie-Ferris cut in from the right and forced a low save from Gary Woods, who also denied Moncur after McCallum had headed Clohessy’s deep cross past the far upright.
The game was opening up now, though, and O’s went close again on 29 minutes when Cox and Clohessy linked up well on the right and the cross found Simpson, whose header was tipped over by Elliot Parish.
The visitors took the lead three minutes later, however, as Pritchard found the overlapping Clohessy and his cross picked out McCallum at the far post for a downward header past Parish.
It should have been 2-0 on 39 minutes when Cox swung another free-kick in from the right, but the unmarked Simpson glanced his header wide from no more than six yards.
It had been a decent opening half for Hendon’s men, though, and encouraging for the second period.
And the visitors doubled their advantage with barely two minutes gone as Clohessy backheeled the ball for Pritchard to swing a cross into the box, for McCallum to glance another header just inside the far post.
Gabbidon, capped 49 times by Wales and celebrating his 36th birthday in three weeks time, had been sent on by Hendon in place of Essam during the break.
And defensive partner Baudry went close to adding a third when his header from Cox’s corner came back off the crossbar on 53 minutes.
Hendon made three changes just past the hour, with Blair Turgott and Ollie Palmer replacing Pritchard and Simpson, while Deniz Mehmet took over from Woods in goal.
The home side made four changes at the same time, but almost conceded a third on 65 minutes when Sammy Moore’s excellent crossfield pass picked out Cox, who took one touch to get the ball under control and sent a dipping half volley off the crossbar.
McCallum made way for Scott Kashket with 16 minutes left, his work for the day done after taking his pre-season tally to five goals.
And the young substitute made an instant impression as he raced onto a through ball and slotted a left-footed effort past Sam Walker, who had only been on the field a matter of minutes himself.
Freddy Moncur replaced Cox with 11 minutes left, to go up against brother George in the midfield areas, and Hendon threw on the other young members of his squad, Sam Ling, Sandro Semedo and Montel Agyemang, for some late cameos.
And all in all it proved a decent workout for O’s, who continue their pre-season preparations at Woking on Tuesday.
Colchester: Parish (Walker 70), Briggs (Vincent-Young 73), Wright (Holman 70), Moncur, Kent, Szmodics (Edwards 61), Eastman (Gilbey 61), Bonne (Porter 70), Lapslie (Massey 61), Sembie-Ferris (Wynter 61), Brindley (Olufemi 44).
Unused sub: James.
Orient: Woods (Mehmet 61), Clohessy (Ling 85), Shaw, Essam (Gabbidon 46), Moore (Semedo 85), Baudry, Cox (Moncur 79), James (Agyemang 85), Simpson (Palmer 61), McCallum (Kashket 74), Pritchard (Turgott 61).
Attendance: 1,084 (including 308 Orient fans).
Referee: F Graham.
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