Bereft of their KC-bound leading goalscorer, a lacklustre Colchester side are swotted away calmly by an imperious Tigery performance, with Kevin Ellison finally shining in an advanced striking role.

Our third and last crack at this lot this season. At their place, coming down after the adrenaline-rush of the win at Sheffield, we were gritty and doughty and the 2-1 success was, of its type, one of our best of the campaign. Up here in the Cup, on the back of a manager saying he wasn't that fussed whether we kept winning in the Cup or not, we lost, in one of our worst efforts of the season. Today, happily, we found a third way, one that has stood us in good stead much of the season; play your best players in their preferred positions and watch them rip up the oppo. We were great yesterday much of the time and solid all of the time, suggesting, as we again sit on a comfy cushion above Tranfield, Sheffpool and Hartlemere, that the uncertainties of the past few weeks are behind us. Making us purr were:

Myhill
Stockdale Cort Delaney Dawson
France Ashbee Green Elliott
Barmby Ellison

That's not actually quite right; I'm pretty sure that we started with Ellison on the left and Elliott upfront. But sensibly we abandoned that after a few minutes, put Elliott in his preferred spot and let Ellison barge about up front out of harms way. I have to say I rather admire that. Leaving aside the fact that Taylor bears a considerable responsibility for signing all of our numpty strikers, it is to his credit that once he has decided that they are all useless he doesn't hang about and they are out of here, even if it means playing with no recognised forwards; why bother, if all they're doing is making the Circle smell bad? Similarly, it's wise to let France and Elliott do what they do best, rather than neutering them by making them run down the middle.

Anyway, we looked up for it from the outset, Elliott having the ball in the net at the North Stand end in the first minute, although the whistle had long gone for offside. But already Green and Barmby were combining well (and how often that's been written this season) and France and Elliott were tugging their wide defenders all over the place. On 15 minutes France did this to particular good effect, his run and cross producing a corner. Dawson put over a fine delivery, Cort got to the near post and flicked a good header past Davison, 1-0.

We bossed it for the rest of the half after that. A free kick down our left put France free, he might have shot but instead chipped in a cross and Elliott couldn't quite get on top of the header. Then Barmby essayed a typically clever ball to Greeny, who shot cleanly but just wide. This measure of control looked as though it should bring another goal and it duly did, albeit from an unlikely source. On 33 minutes Ellison surprised me by playing a decent ball to put Elliott though on Davison. Davison just got their in time, but spannered his clearance out to Ellison, who then astonished me by finding an excellent long-range effort that beat the frantically-scampering-back-former-Grimsby-and-sometime-unsuccessfully-of-this-parish-serial mare-man, only then to hit the bar and bounce back into play. Presumably the players had been as surprised as me by Ellison's interventions, as no-one moved towards the loose ball, bobbling invitingly 8 yards out. With Davison now back between his sticks and defenders belatedly aware of the danger, it was just the sort of chance that third division strikers snatch at and blast wide. Happily it fell to Nick Barmby, a proper footballer, who took all the time he needed to place it beyond Davison and inside the post. 2-0, Ellison rightly taking many of the plaudits, but a special mention should go to Davison for his second assist in our cause of the season, following his allowing Elliott's shot to bounce over him at their place.

We now went into overdrive, Elliott got free on the left, hared towards goal, got to the ball ahead of Davison and shot, but just wide of the post. We strutted, Green and Barmby to the fore, but everyone wanting the ball, it was very good to see. Colchester were starting to thrash around abjectly, watched by their sullen travelling band of about 9 squaddies, failing to respond every time we wondered 'Where's your Fagan gone?' Their plight was best summed up by their Fagan replacement, Ndumbu-Nsungu, executing a wonderful air-header.He capered towards the ball rather like my rottweiler Meg does, then, like she, seemed utterly bemused when it bounced, running beyond it and under it whilst contorting himself oddly in trying to leap up and head it at the same time and failing to accomplish any of this. Often my dog will compose herself after this sort of embarrassment in the park by taking a thoughtful and resolute dump before carrying on. I watched Ndumbu-Nsungu carefully, clutching my doggy bag and scoop, but he didn't seem about to do that. His manager was clearly less convinced, and we didn't see the number 24 emerge for the second half, which was probably a kindness all round.

Colchester did actually get forward for a corner that Myhill had to be alert to save, but then Elliott once more charged forth and set up Ellison who, keen obviously to show that his earlier lob-shot had been no fluke, rather proved the reverse as he volleyed it miles over. We were still giggling as we applauded the boys off at half time.

After the interval we looked as though we'd made it three immediately, Green picking out Delaney from a corner and his free header being excellently saved and cleared by Davison. From this point on, the visitors, as they had to do, took the game to us, but with our lineup this suited us, as we broke rapidly, dangerously and intelligently. I find Nick Barmby a real treat to watch, I must confess. He always looks for the best option, not the safe option, and then has the skill to get his team mate the ball how he wants it when he wants it, whether with the head, or the inside or outside of the boot on either foot. Strikers should be queuing up to play with him. For all that, he was over shadowed by Elliott, who had another tremendous game. A left-sided run dragged panicking defenders towards him, leaving Ellison lumbering forwards down the middle all alone and a-howling for the ball. 'Not a chance,' thought I, but I was wrong as the wily God-botherer then slipped inside a lovely pass to the white-domed frontman-for-a-day who struck it first time and well, only for Davison to tip over. From the corner Elliott shot and Davison again saved well only for, oddly enough, a goalkick to be given.

Not that it broke our momentum. Ellison found France, he ran and held the ball j-u-u-s-t long enough for Stockdale haring forward and out side him to run on to it and get over a teasey, curvy ball away from the defenders but on to the head of SuperStu only for it to go just wide. Tremendous football. A Green freekick found Delaney for another free header that he probably should have done better than skid over the bar. From a corner Cort looked like he wanted to reprise his first half effort, but his header was well-saved. And so we couldn't quite find the knockout blow, having to settle for a substantial win on points according to the cards of all 16,400 judges watching. Colchester, despite plenty of possession, never created enough that was terrifying, apart from late on when they gave Myhill the chance to remind us what a good keeper he is, as a goal-bound header down low to his left was turned aside with characteristic aplomb; it's the sort of save he's been making all season, his reflexes so very good that he seems to be waiting for the ball to arrive even from the sharpest chances. Custodian of the leather.

Fans of point-to-point were pleased to see Junior Lewis get a brief opportunity to stretch his arms and direct his fingers as Greeny went off after a very nice display, and it was good too to see Ellison afforded the opportunity to soak up the acclaim of the Circle, as he was withdrawn with 2 minutes to go after comfortably his best performance for us, in favour of Price. Nice, too, to see the manager put his arm round the lad and give him an encouraging word in his ear as he walked off, presumably saying 'Don't hang around in the showers, son, I need you to clear your kit out of the way pronto 'cos Fagan's having your peg.'

So a good day all round, as rivals struggled whilst we strutted. I didn't think we had a weak link today; even Price, whose commitment has been much questioned this season, suggested he had put that behind him now, as in the 2 minutes he was on charged around everywhere, getting in everyone's road, seemingly desperate to be involved. Assuming Fagan's what we think he is, and on the basis that Taylor's luck in signing strikers must change soon - mustn't it? - I think we are in good shape now. I've sometimes felt recently that the manager has seemed a bit distracted with contract talk and the FA always in the background. Now that this is sorted, I hope we can settle down, secure in the knowledge that one of the most successful managers in our history is tied to us for a couple of years, news that must please all but the most blinkered of our fans (Hi, John), or that if someone does come along and prise him away, whether bigger club or country, we'll be due the substantial compensation that should help us secure someone as good or better. Happy days.

HULL CITY (4-4-2): Myhill; Stockdale, Cort, Delaney, Dawson; France, Ashbee, Green, Elliott; Ellison, Barmby.  Subs: Lewis (for Green, 87), Price (for Ellison, 89), Hessentahler, Wilbraham, Duke.

Goals: Cort 16; Barmby 33

Booked: Myhill

Sent Off: None

COLCHESTER UNITED: Davison, White, Brown, Baldwin, Chilvers, Keith, Halford, Watson, Johnson, Williams, Ndumbu-Nsungu.  Subs: Stockley (for Ndumbu-Nsungu, 45), Guy (for Williams, 88), Gerken, Hunt, King.

Goals: None

Booked: None

Sent Off: None

REFEREE: N Miller

ATTENDANCE: 16,484