Danny Cowley hails ‘important win’ as Colchester score late on against Rochdale

Danny Cowley was delighted to see his Colchester side maintain their impressive start to the new League Two season with a 1-0 win over Rochdale.

Substitute Jaden Williams bagged an 87th-minute winner as the U’s made it seven points from a possible nine following a hard-fought contest at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Cowley said: “It was a really important win. To get seven out of nine points is an incredible return from the group, considering where we’re at.

“It’s a really good habit if you keep going late in games and you can find ways to win late on.

“I really liked the fact that we kept a clean sheet – this is so important to us. I suppose the other positive is that we didn’t play very well and we won, which is the sign of a good team.

“I’m not sure we’re that quite yet but we’re certainly pleased to win.”

Williams scored his first-ever league goal to win it for Colchester, finishing superbly first time into the top corner from Kane Vincent-Young’s cross.

“It was an excellent finish from Jaden, for sure,” said Cowley. “He practises so hard.

“We say it a lot, where do the spiders live? Right in those corners and I don’t think he could have found more of the top corner than that.

“When Kane [Vincent-Young] gets into those areas, he can speed up the game and get in really good positions and give us really good quality.”

Rochdale are still searching for their first point in League Two following their promotion from the National League after sliding to a third successive defeat.

Rochdale boss Ian Watson said: “It hurts so much because of the way that we conceded the goal in the 86th minute.

“In the second half there’s too much chaos and we don’t get enough control in the game.

“We didn’t play with enough bravery when the pressure comes, in terms of their press and the way they chase after us. We need to do so much more with the ball.

“We have too many turnovers, which then allows them to play to their strengths and get the balls back into our box and have set pieces. Then we have to defend more than we want to.

“The boys emptied the tank and they’re hurting so much in there now. You can see that they’re really down and it’s my responsibility to pick them up and make sure that we go again for Tuesday, because it’s a quick turnaround.

“There’s no victim mentality or feeling sorry for ourselves here. We have to be better and it’s as simple as that.”