The U’s beat Fleetwood Town 3-0 at the JobServe Community Stadium, thanks to second-half goals from Lyle Taylor, Owura Edwards and Jack Payne.

It lifted Colchester up to seventh spot in the table with nine games remaining, extending their unbeaten run to 13 matches.

U’s boss Cowley said: “It was a really good performance from us and a really good day for us.

“It’s been a good two weeks and to get five wins in 14 days has been an incredible effort, from everyone involved, of course the players but the staff as well and our brilliant supporters.

“Don’t underestimate how hard today was, because when you’ve played a fifth game in 14 days against a team that’s had a clear week and a full week to prepare, it becomes really tough physically and really tough, mentally.

“But the way that we implemented the game plan and the boys ran for each other was brilliant and they got what they deserved.”

Colchester had gone in goal-less at the break, with both sides having chances to break the deadlock.

“We had a brilliant start to the game in the first 20, 25 minutes, just so much energy and intensity against the ball and found a really good rhythm with it,” said Cowley.

“Just before half-time, we just let one or two too many crosses in and they’re a dangerous team in the respect that they play a 3-5-2, they have two forwards, they have eights joining the box.

“In any game, there’s a period where you have to see it through and dig deep and we did that and we got back together at half-time, made a couple of little tweaks – it wasn’t much and it just gave us a really good control, in that second half.

“We were able to find the quality when it really happened.”

Colchester went ahead in the 55th minute through Taylor, who finished clinically from Harry Anderson’s excellent pass.

They doubled their lead less than five minutes later when Edwards fired under Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch’s body, before Payne sealed the U’s win with five minutes of normal time remaining with an excellent long-range strike.

Cowley continued: “It was brilliant initially from Arthur Read, there was a transitional moment and he managed to smooth the game out and just connect two passes.

“I thought Harry was just incredible today – for him to play with that energy was incredible.

“You just knew Lyle was going to score and I knew he’d play well today, because we had three really big players out in Teddy Bishop, Jamie McDonnell and Samson Tovide and we really needed the key players who were available to really step up.

“It was a great goal.

“Owura I thought was a thorn in their side the whole game – he got us up the pitch and carried the ball, on a really difficult surface.

“We’ve been working with him; because he’s scored a couple when he’s ducked in off his left shoulder and come in on his right to finish, people are now over marking that and now he can go and work on the outside and finish on his left foot, so now he becomes really difficult to defend against.

“It was a brilliant finish by Payney – he’s just a top player and another one who’s just an incredible bundle of energy and enthusiasm.”