Colchester United have lost 2-1 against Lincoln City in their penultimate away game of the season.

Lincoln scored deep into injury time through sub Luke Waterfall, after Michael Bostwisk was sent off for hauling down Mikael Mandron.

They had gone ahead earlier in the second half via a penalty by Elliott Whitehouse, but Courtney Senior equalised for the U's minutes after coming on as a sub.

John McGreal made one change to his starting line-up, bringing Sean Murrray in for Sammie Szmodics

It was the visitors that started the game on the front foot, in fact they got into good positions twice in the very first minute.

Mikael Mandron looked like he might be able to get a shot away but the chance went away, then Olamide Shodipo shot over the bar from a tight angle.

The majority of the early action then played out in the Lincoln half, but Allsop in the home goal was relatively untroubled with direct shots.

A wide free kick from Ben Stevenson then found Mandron, but his header went safely over before the hosts had their first effort.

That shot went well over, but Neil Eardley’s shot on twenty seven minutes was on target, comfortably finding the hands of Sam Walker.

Three minutes later, the U’s keeper was stretched more, having to tip wide a shot from the edge of the box from Matt Green.

Lincoln were coming more into the game at this stage, but Tom Eastman and Luke Prosser were dealing with the long balls pumped into the box for Rhead.

Rhead came out of the box to get his only chance of the first half, but shot well over the U’s crossbar from twenty yards out.

Neither side created clear cut chances in injury time at the end of the half, with the score unsurprisingly goalless given the amount of chances carved out.

Whatever Danny Cowley said to his side at the break, it worked – they came out far more positively than the first half, and took the game to the U’s.

A substitution at the start also halped, with Ollie Palmer involved in the penalty for the hosts.

He was poised to shoot, and the referee deemed him to have been denied the chance and pointed to the spot.

He wanted to take the spot kick himself but Whitehouse insisted it was his, and calmly sent Walker the wrong way to give Lincoln the lead.

John McGreal immediately made a substitution of his own, bringing Courtney Senior on for Shadipo – and the youngster made a similar if not better impact than Palmer.

Having got the ball just inside the Lincoln half, he raced forward and played the ball to Mandron.

Senior then made his way to the near post and sidefooted the low cross firmly into the bottom corner to level the scores.

The hosts continued to ask questions of the U’s defence, but Walker and the back four were proving resolute.

Sammie Szmodics replaced Sean Murray, and had a chance to score within a couple of minutes of entering the fray.

He got clear on the left angle of the box, decided to shoot early but Allsop saw it and pushed it out.

Mandron looked like he had a better chance to score from the rebound but a defender touched it onto him and the ball went wide of the Lincoln goal.

Palmer then went close for the hosts, when his curling effort bounced back off the crossbar after he was denied by the U’s keeper seconds earlier.

With seven minutes remaining, the hosts were reduced to ten men as Michael Bostwick hauled down Mandron as the U’s man got free of the defence.

After consulting with his assistant, the referee produced the red card and the U’s had a man advantage.

Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe was introduced just before injury time commenced, but it was the home side that scored the late winner.

A corner was cleared to the halfway line, but the ball was then funnelled wide again and put into the box.

A deflection looped it into the box and sub Waterfall beat Walker and the U’s defender with a towering header to send the home crowd wild.

The final whistle went seconds later, and the U’s had once again been narrowly beaten by a team above them – despite more than matching their opponents.