Coventry City wiped out their 10-point deduction and moved off the bottom of League One after two more goals from Callum Wilson secured victory over Colchester United.
The division’s top scorer made it eight for the season with strikes in each half, after Leon Clarke had twice been denied by the frame of the goal as the Sky Blues dominated from start to finish.
Blair Adams’s return at left-back was the only change from the side that drew at Shrewsbury last weekend but it was his right-sided counterpart who made the first chance in the seventh minute.
Conor Thomas and Carl Baker combined well to set Cyrus Christie free down the right before he beat his man and delivered a great cross from the byline. Wilson met it with a good header but Sam Walker saved high and held well.
More good work from Christie teed up Leon Clarke for a drive at goal five minutes later. But Walker was equal to it once more, producing a good reaction save.
Leon Clarke went event closer moments later, striking the foot of the post with a right foot shot from eight yards after Wilson centred John Fleck’s diagonal.
The Sky Blues were moving the ball confidently and attacking with purpose, with Leon Clarke the target. The striker headed wide at the front post after another great right-wing cross, this time from Baker.
Colchester couldn’t contain Leon Clarke and in the 30th minute it took the crossbar to stop him breaking the deadlock, after good play from Baker and Franck Moussa slipped him in behind.
For all their dominance City could still have gone in behind at half-time. Alex Gibley forged perhaps the clearest chance of the half in the 35th minute when he beat Christie and Andrew Webster after collecting a bouncing ball in the box. But he couldn’t control his finish, blasting over on the half-volley from six yards.
The Sky Blues responded in the perfect fashion however, taking the lead they so deserved two minutes later.
Adams cut in from the left and saw his low right foot shot saved. But Walker didn’t get a strong enough hand to it and the rebound rolled right into the path of an on-rushing Wilson who tapped into the empty net.
City continued to pile forward in the early stages of the second half, albeit with the cutting edge of the first – that is until Wilson added a second in the 57th minute.
Fleck and Adams combined to feed Wilson who exchanged passes with Leon Clarke on the spin and once in behind the youngster made no mistake, rounding the keeper to create an easy finish.
The match took on an attack vs defence feel after that as City did their best to add to the lead while Colchester rarely got out of their own half.
Moussa drew a good save from Walker after a good run and shot from 15 yards in the 74th minute before the keeper made an even better stop to deny Leon Clarke at the back post, when he met another Christie cross with a solid header.
Sky Blues (4-4-2): Murphy; Christie, J Clarke, Webster, Adams; Baker (Daniels 80), Thomas, Fleck, Moussa (Willis 90); L Clarke, Wilson (Manset 83).
Subs not used: Burge, Barton, Haynes, Lobjoit.
Colchester United (4-1-4-1): Walker; Olufemi, Eastman, Wilson, Dickson (Spence 19); David Wright (Morrison 46); Gibley, Eastmond, Bean (Bond 61), Drey Wright; Ibehre.
Subs not used: Cousins, Sanderson, Hubble, O’Donoghue.
Referee: Stephen Martin (Staffordshire)
Attendance: 1,789