First half goals from the visitors’ Chay Cooper and Hakeem Sandah were enough to send the points back to Essex.

On a blustery night the Town came mighty close to taking the lead on 18 minutes only for Josh Phillips’ deflected effort to be acrobatically headed clear off the line.

Nine minutes later, however, Colchester led when Cooper thumped a wonderful effort past goalkeeper Oliver Camis, making his Hatters debut after joining on deadline day.

Adrian Forbes saw his side respond positively to that set-back. Joe Johnson’s dangerous low cross – after good play from Archie Heron and Josh Allen – was held by the visiting goalkeeper before Jacob Pinnington saw a shot deflected into the set-netting.

However the Hatters’ hard work counted for nothing two minutes into first half stoppage time when the visitors doubled their lead when Sandah smashed a left-foot effort past Camis.

After the break the Hatters pushed for a way back into the game only to be frustrated by U’s keeper Ted Collins.

Pinnington’s goal-bound effort was turned away well by Collins seven minutes after the restart and four minutes later the keeper saved Zack Nelson’s follow-up after Oli Lynch had hit the crossbar.

The chances kept coming for the young Hatters. Lynch fired wide and then was denied by Collins before Lynch and Aidan Francis-Clarke both shot the wrong side of the post.

It was not to be the Town’s night and with two minutes left Nelson had the final chance direct from a free-kick which was comfortable for Collins.

Town: Camis, Pinnington, Johnson, Piesold, Francis-Clarke, Bateson, Heron (sub Martins 57), Nelson, Lynch (sub Odegah 82), Phillips, Allen.

Subs not used: Lorentzen-Jones, Thomas, Kayibanda.