Despite opening the scoring on Saturday, Colchester United's U18s fell to defeat against Nottingham Forest at Florence Park.
It was set to be a tough test against a side that had beaten the U's in the same fixture last season, and so it proved as Forest ran out victors on this occasion.
The U's took the lead after just seven minutes, as Harvey Sayer sent in a low cross that was converted by Reuben Mudd.
Forest drew level nine minutes later, as Alex Mighten played the ball through for Joel Owusu to chase. He managed to just about get the ball past Callum Coulter and won the foot race to tuck the ball home.
Jake Hutchinson had a good chance to put the U's back in front from another Sayer cross, but his shot went just wide of the post.
And Forest went ahead two minutes later as Mighten beat the U's back line for pace and slotted home.
The U's were a goal behind at the break, and the deficit increased on 58 minutes when a ball deflected off the referee into the path of Will Swan, who rounded Coulter to make it 3-1.
Swan then made it four on 65 minutes, rising highest from a corner to power a header home.
Forest's lead moved to 5-1 on 75 minutes with a fine shot from Fin Back.
But the U's were to grab the last goal of the game, as Hutchinson was set up by Cornish to tuck the ball past the keeper.
U's: Coulter, Wind, Kazeem, Cornish, Kennedy, Michaels, Akolbire (Donell 65), Cooke (Morgan 35), Mudd, Hutchinson, Sayer