Danny Cowley praised his “ruthless” Colchester side after they thrashed struggling Swindon 4-0 at the JobServe Community Stadium.
All four goals came before half-time, starting with Harry Smith’s 10th-minute own goal when the striker headed into his own net after Ellis Iandolo nodded Jack Payne’s corner towards goal.
Samson Tovide doubled Colchester’s lead two minutes later when he fired in from close range, after Payne had won the ball and picked him out.
Tovide drilled home past goalkeeper Jack Bycroft in the 26th minute to make it 3-0, following Owura Edwards’s fine run and pass.
And Payne added a fourth from two yards after Tovide did magnificently to beat his marker and sprint towards goal before unselfishly squaring the ball.
Colchester head coach Cowley said: “We’re six unbeaten and we’re growing to become a good team, which is good.
“When we become a good team, we put two halves together and we get real control in that second half and we win six or seven.
“We’re not that team at the moment but we’re a team that is moving in the right direction.
“We pressed it well, we turned it over really well and we were ruthless. That’s what good teams do and that’s what good players do.
“We felt the way that Swindon play with the three number nines, they ask a lot of questions of you because they’re very aggressive with the way they set their team up but we felt if we could absorb their direct play in particular, if we could make the first pass we could play through them and we did that really well.”
Swindon boss Ian Holloway branded his team’s display “unacceptable” after they were swept aside by Colchester.
He said: “The (first) goal wounded us and then everything we were doing before that goal stopped.
“The energy that they got from it and the energy that we lost because of it was absolutely unforgivable because in truth, we were beaten there and then.
“Two goals down again and they just ran all over us. I haven’t seen that from my lot; I’ve seen mistakes and I’ve seen us come back and turn it around but that was unacceptable and I’m shocked.
“I didn’t expect that from these lads, with the fight that they showed at the weekend until the penalties scenario (losing to Accrington in the FA Cup).
“Your heart and soul should be fighting for the people who have driven all the way up here tonight to watch you play and you looked like you don’t care – it’s unacceptable and they know that.
“Did I play too many who played the 120 minutes? I’ll have to look at that.”
