Colchester United have been knocked out of the FA Cup

The U's were beaten 2-0 by League One Coventry City, putting the Sky Blues into the Second Round draw.

Goals from Shipley and McCallum did the damage in the first quarter of the game, and the U's were never allowed back in the game by the visitors.

From the very first whistle, Coventry offered the U’s no time and space on the ball and were sharp in possession themselves.

They got their first sight of goal after only seven minutes, when Dean Gerken had to palm away a Shipley shot and Ryan Jackson cleared away the rebound.

And three minutes later, the visitors were ahead thanks to the already dangerous duo of Shipley and Zain Westbrooke.

A clever pass in behind the U’s defence by the latter found the perfectly timed run of Shipley, who controlled and then shot past Gerken to make it 1-0.

After being second best in the first quarter of an hour, the U’s started to look like they were getting a foothold in the game, as two crosses were put into the Coventry box, and then Cohen Bramall hit a shot just wide of the target.

Their task was made doubly difficult on twenty five minutes though, after Coventry were awarded a free-kick wide on their right after a foul by Callum Harriott.

Left wingback Sam McCallum came over to take it, and although he was looking for onrushing forwards, the ball evaded everyone in the box and inexplicably beat Gerken on the far post.

After a change of formation from the U’s, Kwame Poku showed good skill in the middle of midfield but Harriott’s subsequent cross-shot was saved at the near post.

The final shot in the first period came at the other end, with Amadou Bakayoko hitting the side netting from a tight angle.

At the break, Omar Sowunmi was introduced for Poku and went between Prosser and Eastman in a three man defence.

The flow of the game didn’t change too much at the start of the second half though, with Bakayoko skying his effort from the edge of the box.

Another change came on fifty four minutes, with Luke Gambin replacing Harriott.

Two chances came and went for Coventry on the hour mark, and they really should have been three ahead with the second effort.

Liam Kelly, curling effort was always heading wide, but then Westbrooke hit the post when he really should have passed it square for an unmarked Bakayoko.

Bakayoko was then denied by a superb last ditch block from Eastman, as Coventry were looking to really turn the screw with more goals.

Norris came on for Courtney Senior with eleven minutes remaining, but the U’s couldn’t find a way through.

Jackson did shoot wide after what was easily the U’s best passage of play, but the best chance of the half fell to the visitors.

It came nine minutes from time when sub Callum O’Hare failed to make enough contact on a perfect low cross and the weak effort allowed Gerken to recover and save on the line.

After three minutes of injury time, the referee blew the whistle to signal the end of the game, and the end of the U’s involvement in the FA Cup for another season.