A Jamie Cureton hat-trick rubbed the salt into Colchester's ever widening wounds as Norwich won 5-1 at Carrow Road.

Coming into the game, City had been struggling to score goals and had seen themselves slip down the table in recent weeks but they put in a free flowing performance that the U's struggled to contain at times.

Having fallen behind early on, the U's gave as good as they got in the rest of the first half, but the Canaries were excellent after the break and ran away with it with some quality goals along the way.

Ever more burdened by injuries - losing Matt Heath before the game and Kevin Lisbie during it -  the visitors just couldn't keep the home side at bay.

In a season of woes, this ranks right up there and there will be many now who just can't wait for the summer to arrive and for the U's to regroup. 

The U's made three changes to their starting eleven from the side defeated by Hull City. Two were caused by injuries as Karl Duguid and Matt Heath - injured in training on Friday - were replaced by Bela Balogh and Kem Izzet, whilst Medy Elito came in for Anthony Wordsworth.

There was also a change in formation for the U's as they went 4-5-1 with Kevin Lisbie dropping back to right wing and Medy Elito on the left hand side.

The U's started confidently enough against a City side who would want to get a positive start themselves on a nervous afternoon at Carrow Road.

Jackson had the first sight of goal as a corner reached him on the edge of the box but, as he shaped up with his dangerous right boot, he could only help his effort well over the bar.

At the other end, good defending from Virgo saw him clear a deep cross away from Cureton but the home side were in front with less than six minutes on the clock.

Otsemobor rode one tackle and burst into the box and, as Gerken came out to engage the City full back, he found the ball lifted over him and into the far side netting to make it 1-0.

The U's responded well to going behind and had the better of the next ten minutes as they looked for a way back into the game. The midfielder runners were important to how the U's were set up and Jackson was next to go close.

He contrived some space on the left hand edge of the post and struck a low shot just wide of the far upright with Marshall at full stretch as it went past him.

Gerken was the next to be stretched as an excellent City move saw the ball dropped back to Russell, who on the stretch could only push his shot into the side netting.

The out ball for the home team was out wide to Huckerby though, and he escaped the U's back line to bear down on goal. As he was about to pull the trigger, White got in a superb tackle before Gerken came off his line to smother at the second attempt.

City were still looking nervous at the back though and a fine move down the right saw the ball floated to the far post and Elito coming in on it from the left wing got a header in that was goal bound before it was deflected behind for a corner.

Izzet was next to go close, driving a shot down the throat of Marshall as the U's had the better of it, even if - according to the home fans - the decisions were going in the U's favour too often.

The U's then went even closer. Elito got to the byline and his low cross was deflected into the air where Platt stuck out an instinctive right boot, only to see his effort loop over Marshall and land on the roof of the net with the keeper flat footed.

The U's were having to watch the runs of Cureton and it was good defending from Ifil to deny the forward on 34 minutes when it seemed he might tuck home Huckerby's cross.

However, when the same two players combined two minutes later, the U's were unable to do anything about it. Huckerby twisted and turned before sending over a cross for Cureton to volley home.

The striker could not resist cupping his ear to the visiting support and the dust had only just settled on his goal when he went into the book for a kick out at Bela Balogh as the two players wrestled for the ball down the left.

The U's then came close to pulling one back when Lisbie rose highest to head against the crossbar, but the striker was not to be denied for long.

The front man was persistent as the Norwich defence was hesitant to deal with a White through ball which came off Shackell's head and he wriggled his way past Marshall and eventually stabbed the ball into the empty net.

The U's were finishing the half strongly with a series of corners - five or six in quick succession - and the quality of the delivery was excellent and causing all manner of problems for the City back line.

The home side made a change at half time as they introduced Alex Pearce for Doherty for the second forty-five minutes. The U's brought on Vernon for Elito for the second half as well.

Pearce had an early chance after the restart, but the U's continued with further corners as Virgo had a shot deflected behind for a corner. At the other end, Bertrand then forced a good save out of Gerken.

The home team spurned the best chance of the early exchanges though as a cross from Huckerby found Dublin at the far post and, rather than head home, he opted to nod back across goal where the U's were able to clear.

Dublin did miles better six minutes after the restart with an effort of absolute quality. Spotting Gerken off his line, he struck a thirty yard lob that beat the keeper but came back off the bar. The offside Cureton lifted the ball over the woodwork,

It was not long though until the home side did extend their advantage. The ball was set to be tucked home by Patterson when Ifil tripped him in the tackle and Cureton stepped up to send Gerken the wrong way.

The home fans were still celebrating the goal when Huckerby nearly got in again. He escaped the offside trap but found Gerken bearing down on him with the U's keeper hacking clear.

The keeper did even better not long afterwards as Jackson gave the ball away, allowing Cureton to bear down on goal and, just as it seemed he might stab home, Gerken clawed the ball away for a corner.

The U's were nearly four down when the home side again got away down the left through Fotheringham and he dropped a cross across the goal line where it looked like Cureton might tuck home, only for White to clear from danger at the final moment with an excellent challenge.

Huckerby was enjoying himself with some clever touches on the ball and the home team were having the better of the chances as they played some lovely stuff going forwards.

However, the U's were next to go close midway through the second half as they contrived a good move going forwards. Izzet drove forwards and passed out to Platt who in turn sent it to Vernon. He cut inside and drove in a fine shot that forced a very good save out of Marshall to his left.

The corner that came as a result was not fully cleared by the City defence and as it bounced around in the Norwich area, only Vernon's foul stopped the visitors getting a shot away.

The U's hope of a passage into the game faded though when Lisbie was substituted with twenty minutes to go. The striker had tracked back to tackle Huckerby but picked up an injury in the process. The treatment room becomes ever fuller!

Wordsworth was the man to replace him and, within minutes of his introduction, nearly got a goal. He got beyond Platt's flick on and his first touch was just too heavy which allowed Marshall to collect.

He nearly got in again with fourteen minutes remaining only for Pearce's deflection to take the ball away from him at the crucial moment.

The U's were having some decent opportunities and Platt was next to go close with an arrowed header that Marshall did well not only to save but also to collect.

The keeper was brave again on 80 minutes when the U's created another good move down the right that saw the ball nodded back into the danger area by Jackson, only for the Norwich stopper to prevent Wordsworth getting onto it.

The U's kept probing with much of their joy coming down the right hand side, and from one such corner the ball came out to Balogh, who helped his effort over the bar.

That spell of pressure counted for nothing though as Cureton completed his hat-trick on 88 minutes.

The ball was laid back to him by Dublin and he curled the ball past Gerken into the far corner.

The scoreline got worse for the visitors when Dublin himself completed the scoring. The ball dropped to him just inside the box and he executed a fantastic effort to lift the ball past Gerken and into the top corner.

In a tough, tough season, this was another big blow for the U's and it was a shell shocked side that trooped off after the match.

Att: 25,215