Colchester United fell to a rare defeat on Saturday afternoon, as Cheltenham ran away with the game in the second half.

The first half exploded into life in the final ten minutes as Kurtis Guthrie opened the scoring with a screamer, before the home side were reduced to ten men when Kyel Reid saw red for a push.

The U's were also forced into a change when Kane Vincent-Young had to come off injured during the interval and the Robins took full advantage after the interval.

They drew level not long after the break and, as the football fates often have it, it was former U's man Sanmi Odelusi who levelled things up.

And, with their tails up and sensing blood, the visitors put the U's to the sword with three further goals to claim a much needed win.

The U’s had had the ball in the back of the net after just two minutes, as Guthrie tucked it home. But it was struck off by referee Mr Oldham, as the U’s forward pushed defender Onaraise into his keeper before scoring.

At the other end, the ball fell to Eisa twenty yards from goal, but his shot was always rising and Walker was happy to watch it go by.

The game was starting to open up, and from a corner won by Jackson’s cross, it fell at the feet of Kent, whose low shot was well saved by the feet of Flinders.

Jackson was having some joy down the right and sent a fizzing cross across the six yard line not long afterwards, but no one could get on the end of it.

He then got involved on 24 minutes, striding forward onto a pass forward and pulling a shot wide, with Mandron and Guthrie close to it once again.

The visitors had a sniff of goal just before the half hour mark, as Wright won the knock down from a free kick and it was heading for Grimes, who was denied by Walker’s low save.

The game had dropped into something of a lull in the subsequent ten minutes, until a moment of magic from Guthrie.

He saw off the defender with a good show of strength, before stepping forward and unleashing a fine strike past Flinders and into the back of the net.

But the U’s good mood was dampened somewhat just before the break when they were reduced to ten men.

Reid and Morrell came together as the U’s prepared to take a free kick and the referee adjudged that the U’s man was the aggressor and showed red.

The U’s made a change at half time as they introduced Kpekawa for Vincent-Young, whilst former U’s man Odelusi came on for the visitors.

The lead was to last ten minutes after the interval and it was that man Odelusi who levelled things up.

There was a real goalmouth scramble and it eventually fell into the path of Odelusi, who lifted it home past Walker.

They nearly made it two just after, but Winchester somehow spurned the effort as it came to him at the far post.

Odelusi was in the thick of it and, after the ball broke to him just inside the box, it was well saved by Walker.

And the U’s keeper made another good stop, tipping over after Morrell struck in a fine shot.

But he could do little about it as the visitors got their nose in front on 70 minutes. Morrell’s shot appeared to be going wide but was blocked by Eastman, and it fell to Atangana who smashed home.

The U’s introduced Brandon Hanlan off the bench for Mandron for the final fifteen minutes, but the visitors extended their advantage with ten minutes to go as Sellars was slid in at the far post and made no mistake as he drilled through Walker’s legs.

Three became four with seven minutes to go and this time it was Eisa who scored, getting in round the back to slot home past Walker.

The U’s had chances through Loft and Guthrie in the dying stages of the game, but the match was lost and it was the visitors who took the win this time around.