Liam Henderson made it 11 goals in his last four games for Watford Reserves as they beat Colchester United 5-2.

Henderson was booed by a small section of the Vicarage Road crowd when he came on for the first team recently but his hat-trick last night guided the Hornets’ second string to their sixth consecutive home win.

The 20-year-old has failed to score in 21 substitute appearances for Watford’s first team but he has been instrumental in the Reserves winning the Football Combination East Division title.

Last night’s victory was the latest goal-fest at Boreham Wood FC and took the Reserves tally to 28 in their last six matches.

It was Henderson who opened the scoring against Colchester as he finished well after some excellent wing play from Michael Bryan.

Piero Mingoia is the latest Academy product to be handed a professional contract by Watford and he made it 2-0 just before the break, as his shot went in off defender Alan Maybury.

Colchester kept their hopes of a fightback alive in first-half injury time when former Wealdstone loanee Sam Corcoran beat Jonathan North to a through ball.

But Bryan and Henderson linked up again on 67 minutes to regain the two-goal lead and then it was two substitutes who combined to make it 4-1, when Billy Gibson’s cross was headed home by Adam Fenwick.

Henderson completed his hat-trick from the spot in the final minute of normal time to secure an emphatic victory, although Simon Hackney did grab a consolation goal deep into injury time as his looping shot beat North.

Watford: North; Yiadom, Oshodi (Fenwick 73), Travner, Thompson; Bryan, Brooks, McGinn, Mingoia (Gibson 73); Henderson, Sordell (Massey 73). Subs not used: Bond (gk), Assombalonga.

Colchester United: Cousins; Maybury, Beevers (Hamilton 45), Heath, Fox, Bender, Corcoran, Hackney, Lartey (Sanderson 51), Pavett, Malton. Subs not used: Arnott, Dickey (gk), Ajim.