Colchester United have been beaten 1-0 at the Cambs Glass Stadium.

The game was goalless at the break but the hosts managed to score the only goal just after the hour mark.

Ikpeazu hit a left foot effort into the bottom corner, giving Sam Walker no chance.

Mandron and Odelusi had late chances but neither could convert and the final whistle went with the hosts winning 1-0.

The first half was a combative affair, with three yellow cards handed out by the referee.

Neither side could breach the opposition defence though, and it was goal-less at the break.

Unsurprisingly, the U’s went with an unchanged starting eleven from their last league fixture, the 5-1 victory over Forest Green Rovers.

U’s Head Coach John McGreal was busy on transfer deadline day on Thursday, and had three of his five new additions, Sanmi Odelusi, Brandon Comley and Nicke Kabamba, on the bench.

It was the U’s who had the first, and then the second, goalscoring opportunity but experienced keeper David Forde just beat Sammie Szmodics to a great Tom Lapslie through ball.

The second came just seconds later, when Kyel Reid was denied by a last ditch block when Drey Wright’s ball found its way across the box.

Although the early tempo was high from both teams and the U’s chances came after three minutes, the clock was on seventeen when the next chance came about.

It was at the opposite end though, as Brown shot well wide after good work from Uche Ikpeazu.

A Reid free kick then hit the wall, and Sam Walker took an easy save from a shot by Brown.

Just before the half hour mark, a U’s attack finished with Sean Murray’s shot deflected for a corner, from which Frankie Kent headed over the crossbar.

As the tempo started to slow, the home side created a couple of headed opportunities of their own, winning two aerial battles in each incident.

Taylor and Elito won their challenges but the latter’s effort went straight at Walker, then Azeez headed wide following Ikpeazu’s header back into the box.

That was the final effort of the first half, and the scores being level was probably a fair reflection of the forty five minutes.

At half time, Lewis Kinsella was replaced by Ryan Jackson, with Kane Vincent-Young moving to left back to accommodate Jackson at right back.

The U’s started on the front foot, but it wasn’t long before the home side got a strong foothold on the game.

Frankie Kent had to be alert to clear under pressure from Medi Elito on fifty minutes, before Sanmi Odelusi was introduced for his U’s debut.

The action remained in favour of Cambridge, with Ikpeazu shooting tamely at Sam Walker on the hour.

Three minutes later, the Cambridge forward put much more power behind his shot to give his side the lead.

Former U’s forward Jabo Ibehre got the better of Tom Eastman, found Ikpeazu and he cut inside onto his left foot and arrowed his effort into the bottom corner.

Cameron James was introduced as McGreal changed the formation, coming on for Drey Wright as the U’s moved to three at the back.

The U’s were still under pressure from Cambridge, and Walker had to make a stunning tip over to deny Brown doubling the hosts’ lead.

Over the course of the final fifteen minutes, it was the U’s that pushed forward and maybe should have got themselves an equaliser.

Mandron sidefooted a chance past the post, before Szmodics hit a shot well over the crossbar.

And in the four minutes of injury time, new signing Odelusi couldn’t get good contact with his header and the ball flew wide of the target.

There was no more time to create another opening for the U’s, and the final whistle went on a single goal defeat.