Colchester United have won 3-1 against Newport County

And they came from behind to claim the three points for the second time in three home matches.

Tristan Abrahams opened the scoring with just five minute on the clock, but it was all Colchester United after that.

Ryan Jackson's deflected shot levelled things up, and then a fantastic strike from Ben Stevenson made it 2-1 at the break.

Courtney Senior made the game safe on seventy four minutes, and the U's move up to ninth place in the Sky Bet League Two table.

After gaining a point at the league leaders Crewe in midweek, the U’s were looking to go one better against another side going well in the table.

Newport had only lost one league game, and had only conceded seven goals throughout the first third of the season.

And the U’s job got even harder when the Exiles went ahead in the first real attack of the game.

It came on five minutes, and it was dangerman Josh Sheehan who unlocked the U’s defence.

His through ball allowed Abrahams to hit a low shot under the body of the advancing Dean Gerken.

That really was as good as it got for the visitors though, and only three minutes later, the U’s almost got back on level terms.

Kwame Poku’s corner was headed back at the far post and Luke Norris was unlucky to see his goalbound header cleared off the line.

Stevenson then had a shot deflected as the U’s kept the attack going by winning the ball back just outside the box.

On thirteen minutes, Poku shot just over after a clever short corner routine involving himself, Senior and Frank Nouble.

Senior and then Norris were next to trouble the visiting defence, but the former’s effort was saved before Norris shot just wide.

The U’s deserved to be at least on level terms, and they were on thirty two minutes.

Jackson and Poku combined on the right, and after cutting inside, Jackson hit a left foot effort that deflected up and into the back of the net, with the despairing touch from King not enough to keep it out.

And still all the play was towards the Newport goal, with Senior denied by a great save before Norris slid in to hit the rebound over the bar.

The imminent second goal arrived four minutes before the break, with Stevenson hitting a stunning strike into the top corner, giving King absolutely no chance.

Despite making changes in personnel and formation, Newport boss Michael Flynn couldn’t prevent the U’s having the better of things in the early part of the second period.

Norris, who was unlucky not to be on the scoresheet himself, had a shot blocked, before Cohen Bramall from left back struck a shot that whistled just over.

Newport sub Joss Labadie shot wide in a rare attack, but the play went straight to the other end with Poku twisting and turning before shooting just wide.

Bramall then hit a half-volley just over as well from another clever corner, with sixty eight minutes played.

Six later, and Senior looked to have made the game safe.

Comley, Stevenson, Nouble and Poku were all involved in the move, before Senior zipped past his marker and drilled his right foot effort into the near top corner to make it 3-1.

A minute later, Poku was replaced by Luke Gambin, but the U’s dominance continued.

Norris was denied a goal on seventy eight minutes by a superb fingertip save from King, with Norris the man fouled on the U’s left hand side.

The ball was in the Newport net for the fourth time a minute later, but the flag was raised for offside and the score remained 3-1.

Callum Harriott then replaced Senior, which just meant that the Newport defence was being pulled apart by someone different for the last seven minutes.

Gambin drilled a shot inches wide, then Nouble was denied a goal of his own after a powerful display against one of his former clubs.

He came off to a deserved round of applause with three minutes remaining, with Jevani Brown entering the fray.

There were no further chances in these final minutes nor the four of injury time, and the final whistle went on a very impressive victory for the U’s.

The win meant four points from two tricky league fixtures against high flying sides, and sends the U’s to Crawley for the last sixteen Carabao Cup tie in good spirits and good form.