Colchester United have lost 2-1against Crawley Town
In a prequel to the Carabao Fourth Round clash in two and a half weeks time, Luke Prosser put the U's ahead, but two second half goals sealed the home win.
Reece Grego-Cox and Mason Bloomfield got the goals for Crawley, in what was a second half to forget for the U's
The game started with the hosts having a long range effort from former U’s player Tarryn Allarakhia, but that was the only goalmouth action in the first twenty minutes.
Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu then flicked away a dangerous free-kick, before a flurry of pressure at the other end went unrewarded.
The first real opening came on twenty five minutes, but Wiredu volleyed over from the angle of the six yard box after a Frank Nouble shot as blocked.
Either side of the half hour mark, the two sides exchanged chances, but Wiredu was denied and the U’s wall held firm from a Lubala free-kick.
The deadlock was broken on thirty five minutes, and the warning signs were there for the hosts.
Pokou had already put in a couple of dangerous set pieces, and the goal came from a right wing corner.
This time, he whipped it into the near post and Prosser rose highest to flick it into the far post past Morris.
Wiredu, who was powering forward from central midfield with real purpose, almost got on the end of a Robinson cross, but was just kept away from the ball by Doherty.
Eastman comfortably blocked a Lubala shot, and the three minutes of first half added time went by without incident before the whistle went for the break.
The hosts were always likely to come out trying to take the game to the U’s, and the home crowd weren’t disappointed.
Grego-Cox headed wide and then had a shot easily saved, but it was third time lucky when he scored ten minutes into the half.
He picked up the ball thirty yards out on the right angle, and hit a shot that arrowed into the bottom corner to level things up.
The hosts had their tails up at this point and always looked the more likely side to go on and win it.
Camara shot over the bar after a good break, sub Nathaniel-George had an effort blocked and Dean Gerken tipped a shot onto the post.
After Jevani Brown replaced Robinson, the U’s had a brief bit of pressure, but Nouble’s effort was blocked and Brown himself headed wide.
Ben Stevenson came on for Sarpong-Wiredu but the flow of the game didn’t change in the final fifteen minutes.
Doherty, getting forward from left back, had a shot saved by Gerken on seventy seven minutes, but the U’s keeper was helpless three minutes later.
Young, the opposite home full-back got forward and whipped in a cross that Bloomfield headed powerfully down into the bottom corner to make it 2-1.
McGreal immediately put Luke Norris on, looking for a late equaliser, but the last chance the U’s had fell to Lapslie, who struck his twenty yard shot over the bar.
And Gerken prevented a third for the hosts, pushing another strong shot onto the post.
In the four minutes of injury time, the U’s couldn’t force an equaliser and it was them on the wrong end of a comeback victory this weekend.