Ben Garner dedicated Colchester’s first win of the season to their travelling fans after watching his team storm to a shock 3-0 victory at Gillingham.
Colchester had propped up Sky Bet League Two before their trip to the leaders but goals from Fiacre Kelleher, Samson Tovide and Bradley Ihionvien sealed a sensational win.
Garner believes there is work to do in the transfer window before his squad is in the shape he wants, but has now challenged them to kick on up the table.
“It’s a win for the supporters today as the start to the season has not been easy for them,” the head coach said.
“I’ll have four or five hours of relief before I’ll get back to it. We believe in the group and what we’re doing, but this is a big week for us now.
“We’re three players away from what we want to be as a squad, so hopefully we can strengthen in the last week of the window.
“That was thoroughly deserved. I’m really pleased for the players as they all put a huge shift in today. It’s fantastic to come here, play in that manner, and score three goals. We’ve got to kick on now.
“We spoke in the week about how Gillingham haven’t conceded a goal in the league, and asked the group what difference it would make if we went there and scored.
“Gillingham haven’t had to chase a game, they’re very good defensively, and they’ve shown that they’re difficult to break down if they go ahead. We weathered the early storm and dealt with their threats really well.
“I’m delighted with the clean sheet as that was our target at the start of the week; to get the three goals on top was lovely.”
Meanwhile, Neil Harris denied Gillingham had been served a reality check but admits his team “crumbled” in front of their own fans.
The Gills were top of the table and had won their first four League Two games 1-0, but crashed back down to earth and Harris insists Saturday’s result serves a reminder of how unpredictable League Two can be.
“I’ve been honest after the games we’ve won this season, which served as a reminder of the standards we set and how we need to maintain them,” he said.
“The first goal was vital and we had three chances in the first half to score it. Today we couldn’t break down Colchester’s defensive block, so that’s something we need to learn to do.
“I wasn’t surprised by Colchester’s counter-attacking threat today. But I’m disappointed that we didn’t hang in there after conceding the first goal. We crumbled a bit in the last half hour.
“We’ve got 12 points after five games, so I’m still really happy. That’s a magnificent return. We just need to park this one.”
Serie A side Genoa confirm sacking of head coach Gilardino
Serie A side Genoa have confirmed the departure of their head coach Alberto Gilardino, with Patrick Vieira reportedly on his way in.
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, leaves the club with them sitting just one point above the relegation size with 10 points from 12 matches this season.
A former striker who played for clubs including Genoa, Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina, Gilardino took charge of Genoa in 2022 and helped them earn promotion to the top division before a 11th-place finish during the 2023-24 season.
"The club thanks Gilardino for the goals achieved together over the years and wishes him the best for his career," Genoa said in a statement.
The 42-year-old saw his side salvage a late 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their last match before the international break.
Genoa were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the second round following a defeat to Sampdoria on penalties in September.
Arsenal legend Vieira is set to replace him, according to multiple reports.
The former France midfielder has been out of work since leaving Strasbourg by mutual consent in July.
Doncic backs Mbappe to turn fortunes around at Real Madrid
NBA superstar Luka Doncic has backed Kylian Mbappe to "figure it out" after his underwhelming start to life at Real Madrid.
Mbappe has scored eight goals in 16 games for Madrid in all competitions since joining as a free agent following the expiration of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.
He has gone four matches without a goal – a run that includes losses to Barcelona and Milan – and has been left out of France's latest squad.
However, Dallas Mavericks guard Doncic – a Real Madrid supporter due to his previous ties with the sports club – can see Mbappe turning things around.
"Obviously [their season] could be better," Doncic told Managing Madrid after the Mavericks' win over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.
"But when you get a guy like Mbappe, it takes some time to get used to it. We'll figure it out."
Mbappe has scored six goals in 11 LaLiga appearances for Madrid but has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04.
The forward is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes for PSG in his last of seven seasons in Paris.
Madrid thrashed Osasuna 4-0 last time out in the league to return to winning ways but still trail leaders Barcelona by six points.
Asked about his connections with Madrid, former Los Blancos basketball player Doncic said: "I follow Real Madrid every time.
"I grew up there. They taught me everything, so it's a part of my life. You can call it a secondary home.
"I learned a lot of stuff there and, especially, they gave me a way to be here right now [in Dallas]. I always appreciate that 100%."
Madrid return to action after the international break with a trip to Leganes on Sunday.
Real Madrid 0-4 Barcelona: Guijarro brace sets visitors up for Clasico glory
Patri Guijarro's first-half brace set Barcelona on their way to a thumping 4-0 win over rivals Real Madrid in Liga F on Saturday.
Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas were also on target as Barcelona continued their perfect start to the season, extending their lead at the top of the table.
The visitors dominated from the off, as Guijarro broke the deadlock inside the fourth minute, tapping in from Putellas' flick-on from a corner.
Cata Coll was forced into a big save to deny Alba Redondo an equaliser shortly after, but Madrid's hope was soon dented as Guijarro picked out the bottom corner with a superb long-range strike for her second.
Pina strengthened their lead six minutes before the break, clinically slotting past Misa with her low strike.
Putellas added some more gloss to the scoreline with four minutes remaining of normal time, beating the Madrid keeper with a lovely dink to bring up her 199th goal for the club.
Barcelona have won all 10 of their games, and now sit eight points clear of Madrid, who suffered their first league defeat of the campaign.
Data Debrief: Total dominance
Madrid will have felt fairly confident coming into this game after a strong start to their season, but they once again failed to find a way past their Clasico rival.
Los Blancos have lost every single game they have played against Barcelona in all competitions, with this their 15th such meeting.
Barcelona smothered their attack early on, restricting their hosts to just one shot in the first half, while they had 10.
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