The U's were left to rue early missed opportunities as Walsall completed a double over Paul Lambert's men with a 2-0 win at the Bescot Stadium.

Reacting to the midweek defeat to Tranmere, the U's had started the game extremely well, but saw Michael Ricketts put them behind on the quarter hour mark.

As the game wore on, they looked like they were finding their feet, until Troy Deeney doubled the advantage just before half time.

The U's manager went all out with his attacking changes during the second half, but it was a losing return to the Midlands for club legend Jimmy Walker in goal for the visiting side.

Colchester had made two changes from the side that had fallen to defeat against Tranmere in midweek.

Lewis Gobern made way for the returning Kem Izzet, whilst Jamie Guy was given his first league start since November 2006 in place of Scott Vernon.

Guy could have given the U's within two minutes of the start of the game. He bundled his way past Weston in the area and as the chance opened up in front of him ten yards out, he made a good connection with his shot only for Ince to block well with his legs.

The U's had started really positively, and had another good chance on seven minutes. Yeates skipped past his full back and dinked over a cross that just eluded Platt and Perkins inside the six yard box - had their positions been reversed, the big number nine would have fancied his chances.

Yeates then smacked a free kick over the cross bar before the U's had two more great opportunities.

Again Guy broke the offside trap but was left to rue a heavy touch in the middle of his run that gave Ince a chance to block the ball once again.

The ball was helped back into the danger area by Platt and Yeates tried to curl it beyond Ince but was only able to put it straight down the keeper's throat.

Having dominated the first fifteen minutes, the U's were then left grateful for the width of the woodwork. A corner was not fully cleared and Hughes smacked in a shot that came back off the post and Izzet was very well placed to clear from inside the six yard box.

And the U's did fall behind with seventeen minutes on the clock. The Saddlers hit the visitors on the counter attack and Zaaboub's cross cum shot was turned home at close range by Ricketts.

The U's did manage to regain their feet as the half wore on, and were improving as they sought an equaliser.

But it was from a lengthy spell of possession eventually cleared by the Saddlers that they had their next chance on 34 minutes.

Hammond was felled but the referee played on and Ricketts broke away, crossing it back to Deeney, but from close range Walker was out to block and the chance was gone.

Zaaboub was the next to go close, turning intelligently 35 yards out and striking in a low shot that Walker palmed away and collected at the second time of asking.

However, they did find themselves two down just before the stroke of half time. The home side broke through Zaaboub and he fed Nicholls to cross. As the ball was headed back across goal by Ricketts, Deeney placed a fine header beyond the despairing dive of Walker.

The U's decided that at half time to make a change to try and get back into the game - Guy making way as Yeates pushed up front alongside with Platt, Gobern coming on down the right.

They started that second period brightly - first Baldwin flicked on to set up Platt for a shot well saved by Ince, before Perkins was just shy of getting to the cross from Gobern down the right.

At the other end, Reid did really well to get in ahead of Deeney after Zaaboub's low cross from the left. The Saddlers then claimed a penalty as Deeney was felled, but the referee waved it away.

The U's had the ball in the back of the net fifteen minutes after the restart. A free kick was flicked into the danger area by Platt and Reid volleyed it into the roof of the net, only for the linesman's flag to rule out the chance.

That prompted two changes by the U's to try and get back into the match, as Vernon and Hackney were introduced for Perkins and Platt for the final 27 minutes of the match.

Hackney had a chance within two minutes of his introduction. A ball forward was helped into his path by Yeates and he strode onto it, striking in a fierce shot that whizzed wide of the post.

At the other end, Walker had to be alert as Reid misjudged the bounce of the ball and the keeper surged off his line to acrobatically kick the ball away from danger with Deeney bearing down on him.

Down the other flank, Gobern and Vernon combined to break for goal but when the winger laid it into the path of his strike partner, the former Blackpool man could only stroke the ball wide.

There were fifteen minutes left when the U's grabbed their next chance. From a short corner, Yeates wriggled into the area and his fierce low shot beat Ince but took a deflection away from goal.

The home side had, throughout the second half, been happy to hit on the counter attack, as they invited the U's onto them to try and find their own goals in the game.