A touch of class from striker Steven Gillespie was enough to maintain the U's 100% record in pre-season, as they won 1-0 at Chelmsford City.

The Conference South side provided the toughest test yet during the warm up to the new campaign in an often tasty encounter.

However, Gillespie continued to justify his price tag with a moment of quality to finish past Chelmsford keeper Danny Gay.

The U's started largely with the side that had finished against Woking, although Paul Reid made his return from a neck injury that had ruled him out of the 6-1 win on Tuesday night.

The U's began tentatively on a surface that was holding the ball up, but Perkins sent Elito away, only to be denied by the onrushing Chelmsford keeper Gay.

The former Rochdale man was at the heart of good things for the U's early on, nearly getting Gillespie away with a clever ball through the middle, only for his team-mate to be denied by the offside flag.

At the other end, the returning Reid was angered by a flailing elbow on six minutes from Danny Webb, which left the centre half needing treatment to a cut on his brow.

The home side were the first to go close on ten minutes, as a cross from the left was flicked on and his second header went wide of the post.

The U's first opportunity came three minutes later as a patient build up ended with Platt flicking the ball back for the onrushing Jackson, who didn't connect truly with his first time left footed.

The first half captain did much better after another good move that went fromleft to right, ending with Jacko striking a fine shot that forced a good save out of Gay.

The U's had two corners as a result, and the second ended with Platt glancing a header wide of the target.

Chances were at a premium and, when a free kick was not fully cleared by the home defence, Quintyn lashed in a centrally placed shot that Gay helped over the bar.

The Chelmsford keeper could do nothing about the U's next chance on goal on the half hour mark, as a through ball found Gillespie, whose first touch in bringing the ball down was exquisite, allowing him to lift the ball over the keeper and into the net.

Webb and Reid's ongoing battle - which had seen the duo trading exchanges - saw the Chelmsford striker go in the book with ten minutes to go until half time.

Gillespie had the ball in the back of the net on 40 minutes after a brilliant ball through from Perkins, but the linesman's flag went up just before he lifted the ball over the keeper.

The home side equalised almost immediately after the break, as a long range shot forced the back pedalling Cousins to tip it over the bar.

At the other end, substitute Wasiu showed his strength to move the defender out of the way but, from close range on the spin, he could only lift his effort over the bar.

The striker did better with his next chance, killing the ball dead with his touch from a cross on the right, before forcing the keeper into a sharp save.

Mass changes followed just after the hour, and the U's had to be sharp against a Chelmsford side not afraid to go on the offensive. Twice Coyne had to be on his toes to clear a clever through ball as the home side sought an equaliser.

However, the U's were looking alright going forwards themselves, and after a good forward run by Nelson onthe right, a powerful snap shot by Wasiu caught Gay by surprise as it crashed off the bar.

Following his double on Tuesday night, Izzet was looking to get in amongst the goals again in the last ten minutes, surging to the edge of the box before piledriving an effort over the crossbar.

The U's were finishing strongly and they tested Gay once more as a corner was not fully cleared and Wordsworth took a touch before volleying a hooked effort that the keeper saved well.

Griffiths was in the right place at the right time in the dying stages to deny a Chelmsford opportunity on goal, the striker looking odds on for a shot before the left back got in with a crucial foot.

And that was enough for the U's, who grabbed their second clean sheet of pre-season as they won 1-0.

Cousins (Gerken 61), White (Nelson 32), Reid (Coyne 61), Hammond (J) (Heath 61), Lockwood (Griffiths 32), Quintyn (Wordsworth 61), Perkins (Izzet 61), Jackson (Hammond (D) 61), Elito (Wright 61), Gillespie (Wasiu 46 (Corcoran 77)), Platt (Vernon 61)

Att: 1,004