Colchester United's home woes returned once again on Saturday, as Walsall grabbed a goal in each half to take all three points back to the West Midlands.

The U's started each half brightly, but found their efforts undone by a Saddlers strike fifteen minutes into each period.

They continued to prompt and probe, but with Clayton Ince commanding in the air, the visitors goal remained in tact come the final whistle.

The U's were left frustrated - on and off the pitch - as they continue to search for that much needed consistency.

Paul Lambert made three changes to their starting eleven as injuries forced a reshuffle - particularly at the back.

Phil Ifil came in at right back for his first league start since MK Dons and Lee Hills started on the left.

John White was shifted into the centre half berth as niggly injuries elsewhere caused a reorganisation of the back line. White had previously played there when the U's took on Crystal Palace in the Championship.

Dean Hammond returned in midfield in place of the injured Kem Izzet whilst Sam Williams, the U's other loanee, continued alongside Clive Platt.

Ifil had to be across quickly to clear from Ricketts on five minutes but, otherwise, the U's had a really positive start to the game.

The full back on the other side, Hills, made an instant impact as he burst forward down the wing to send over a dangerous cross into the box that Platt, leaning backwards to connect with the ball could only head wide.

The U's tempo was back but they were coming up against a Saddlers defence who were prepared to sit in and protect what they had, hitting the U's on the break.

And they managed that with 17 minutes gone as the ball was cut back from the byline to the onrushing Mattis, who was able to divert it past the despairing dive of Cousins and into the far bottom corner.

The U's almost hit back straight away as Williams contrived space to flick the ball back over his head and into the penalty area, where Platt sent his header just wide.

A minute later and the home team were on the march again, Jackson picking up on a loose ball in midfield, and helping it onto Perkins.

His cross into the box was chested back down by Williams, where Hammond smashed a shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

The midfielder had another great sight of goal on 21 minutes, as Platt did superbly to get the ball by the byline, cutting it back to the U's number eight, who scuffed his shot when well placed.

Midway through the half, the U's went close again as Yeates stepped up for a free kick. He hit it with swerve with the outside of his foot and Ince had to parry away as the ball moved all over the place.

The U's had responded well to going behind, but were left relieved when Ricketts flick into the box didn't cause more problems on 27 minutes.

They continued to prompt and probe but were often left frustrated by refereeing decisions, and that annoyance was soon spreading into the crowd as last week's game against Leyton Orient began to repeat itself in terms of some of the officiating.

The U's were having to be patient in their build up, moving the ball around to try and get the Saddlers out of shape.

Yet it was from a Walsall mistake that the U's almost found the path to goal. Ifil swept a ball down the right channel and, as Gerrard and Ince left the ball to each other, Platt nipped in.

The angle was always narrowing for the U's man, but he was left disappointed as he could only find the side netting from virtually near the byline by the time he struck his shot.

At the other end, White had a disagreement with the fourth official whilst changing his shirt after cutting his head but, as he returned to action, got an important tackle in on Nicholls as the wide man cut in to strike at goal.

The U's nearly benefited from that by coming close to drawing level at half time - White's ball knocked down by Platt was eventually turned towards goal by Jackson, Ince flinging himself to his left to save the ball.

They started the second half on the front foot, pinning the Saddlers back with some clever football around the edge of the box, showing plenty more invention.

It was brute force that nearly drew the U's level though, White fizzing in a shot from nearly 40 yards that stung the palms of Ince as it bore down on goal.

Seconds later and White got an equally good cheer as he became the first player to manage to clear the stands at the Weston Homes Community Stadium with a clearance down the right.

That early flurry of chances didn't bring a goal and the stadium became eerily silent, aside from the occasional sounds of frustration as the U's struggled to unlock the door.

And it went from bad to worse for the U's as Ricketts rose highest at the far post from a corner to double the visitors' advantage and put the Saddlers further ahead.

Yeates tried to weave his way to goal with 63 minutes gone, trying desperately to contrive some space before firing in a low shot that Ince held comfortably.

The U's management made two changes not long afterwards, introducing Wordsworth and Wasiu for Ifil and Jackson as the home side tried to change their fortunes by going three at the back.

It almost bore dividends as Perkins twice got into dangerous positions around the edge of the box, the latter seeing him sweep in a cross that Ince plucked at the right moment.

The life had been sucked out of the U's as they sought a way back into the game - frustrations spilling over from the stands again - but they kept pushing with Wordsworth trying his best to wriggle through the massed Saddlers ranks.

The midfielder was giving the U's drive going forwards and as, one loose ball dropped to him on the edge of the box, his driven volley was deflected just wide.

As the U's pushed forwards, it was leaving space at the back though and twice White had to intervene with timely tackles from Nicholls and Reich as the Saddlers broke in on goal.

Two minutes from the end and the U's went close again, Platt fending off attention from visiting defenders to lay it off to Wasiu, but his shot on the turn went just wide of the post.

And, as if to sum up the home team's bad fortune, a late corner saw Ince completely miss the ball only for it to hit the head of someone on the ground and bounce straight back into his hands.

The final whistle blew not long afterwards and there will be plenty for manager Paul Lambert to consider in the next week.

Att: 4,071