COLCHESTER United hero Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe hopes to have lit the blue touch paper after scoring his first goal in League football.

The former Maldon and Tiptree striker coolly slotted home from the penalty spot in Tuesday’s dramatic 2-1 victory at home to Coventry City.

It came just before the half-hour mark and although Tom Bayliss equalised, Mikael Mandron pounced for a winner - created by Ogedi-Uzokwe - in the 88th minute.

“It was my first goal in league football and hopefully the first of many,” said the former Jammers frontman, who signed an 18-month deal with Colchester on January 3.

“It was a good night and hopefully I can keep doing it and keep scoring goals.

“I hope I’ve made the manager think I’m worth another start but I have to keep doing what I’m doing and working hard in training.

“That’s the plan and hopefully I can play more games.

“When the manager told me I was starting, I was a bit shocked.

“But I thought ‘this is my moment and I have to make it count’.

“Thankfully, I scored, got an assist and we won, so it was massive.

“I do assist quite a bit but I never really keep a count of them.

“I just thought I’d float the ball in there for him and if I did that, he’d score, which he did.”

Ogedi-Uzokwe showed his composure by netting from the spot, having won the penalty himself after being fouled by Rod McDonald.

Afterwards he said he treated it like any other penalty - like one he might have buried in the park or, more recently, during his time at Park Drive.

“When it comes to penalties, I have confidence that I’ll score them,” he said.

“I just wanted to take the same penalty as I did at Maldon and put it in the back of the net.

“I just block everything out and picture it like I’m in the park, playing with my friends, and I was happy to score it.”

Tuesday’s win means Colchester have won two of their last three matches and are unbeaten in five - a run that has put them tenth in the table and only three points behind seventh-placed Lincoln City.

“The three points were massive for us,” added Ogedi-Uzokwe, who plundered 34 goals in 34 games for Maldon.

“If I’d scored but we’d drawn, it wouldn’t have been as good but because we won, it was even more pleasing.”