Colchester United have moved up to second in League Two thanks to a 3-2 triumph over Grimsby Town at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Luke Summerfield headed Ben Davies’ corner into the side netting for the visitors inside the opening two minutes.

But Colchester were ahead in the tenth minute.

Colchester captain Luke Prosser’s header from Brennan Dickenson’s corner bounced back off the top of the bar and from the resulting corner, Dickenson swept home his second goal in as many games from inside the area, after Prosser had headed the ball into his path from the set-piece.

Just as they had done against Cambridge a few days earlier, Colchester showed a hunger and fluidity in attack in the opening stages and looked hungry for more goals, after taking the lead.

They almost doubled their advantage less than two minutes later when Dickenson’s side-footed effort struck the outside of a post, after Kurtis Guthrie had driven into the area and picked him out.

Kayden Jackson’s curled low effort from the left edge of the area flashed just wide of the far post for the visitors, midway through the first half.

However, Colchester were the better team and they doubled their lead, 11 minutes before the break.

After Sammie Szmodics had done well to help the ball on, Guthrie was presented with an opportunity to shoot in the area and he clinically fired past goalkeeper James McKeown.

Colchester were looking irresistible as an attacking force at times and it prompted Grimsby boss Paul Hurst to make changes in defence, taking off Andrew Boyce who was walking on thin ice having been earlier cautioned and replacing him with Shaun Pearson.

But it did little to stem the flow of U’s attacks and the home side went further ahead, six minutes before the break.

After combining well with Richard Brindley on the U’s right, Drey Wright delivered a low cross that the in-form Dickenson decisively fired home for his second of the game.

Chris Porter glanced just wide from Dickenson’s free-kick in first-half stoppage-time, as Colchester went in at the break in total command.

Grimsby made a second substitution at half-time, sending on Craig Disley in place of the ineffective Tom Bolarinwa in a bid to find a route back into the contest.

And Disley made an immediate impact, scoring little more than three minutes after coming when he headed home Ashley Chambers’ cross from close range.

Buoyed by the goal, Grimsby felt they should have had a penalty soon after when Prosser appeared to shove Bogle in the six-yard box.

And although their claims were waved away and Walker was called upon to make a smart save with his legs at his near post from Jackson’s shot.

At the other end, Dickenson’s curled effort had to be helped onto the top of the crossbar by Grimsby keeper James McKeown and the winger also went close with a free-kick, as he hunted for a hat-trick.

But Omar Bogle pulled a goal back for Grimsby in stoppage-time, to give Grimsby hope.

However, U's substitute Craig Slater struck a post for the home side near the end, as they held on for victory.

For coverage of the U's game against Grimsby, see Wednesday's Daily Gazette.