Colchester United have lost 1-0 against Morecambe
The U's were looking to get into the top seven, but were twarted by a Morecambe side, who were after the points themselves to get off the bottom of the table.
A set piece won it for the visitors, with Cole Stockton's header deflecting in past Dean Gerken after sixty five minutes.
The setback dropped the U's down to eleventh place, but the points difference remains at two points to the Play-Off places.
At the start of the game, neither side created any clear cut chances, but that understandably suited the visitors more as they hunted for anything that would take them away from the bottom of the table.
Some misplaced passes and a general lack of cohesion from the U’s aided Morecambe’s cause, and Barry Roche in the visitors’ goal was having a relatively comfortable start to proceedings.
In the U’s first burst of attacking intent, Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu’s shot from the edge was blocked and then fellow midfielder Tom Lapslie couldn’t find a way through from the rebound.
That came on twelve minutes, and a minute later Cohen Bramall’s low cross zipped across the six yard box but agonisingly evaded a couple of players on its way through.
There was more agony on fifteen, as Theo Robinson’s cross was millimetres too high for Frank Nouble.
Dean Gerken had only had a weak free kick to save at this stage, and opposing keeper Roche then made the best save of the half.
Nouble went by a defender and then hit an angled shot that was tipped around the post for a U’s corner.
From the resultant set piece, Luke Prosser’s header was blocked and the score remained goalless.
Gerken then made two even better saves, palming out a Stockton effort before tipping away a near post shot from the dangerous Lewis Alessandra.
John McGreal would have asked for more tempo and intensity from his side after the break, but there continued to be disjointed play that prevented any momentum being built.
And Gerken had another couple of saves to make to keep the scores level, with Stockton and Sam Lavelle both denied.
The first sight of goal for the home side came on fifty minutes, but Poku shot over after cuts back onto his right foot just outside the box.
Either side of the hour mark, Luke Norris replaced Theo Robinson and the returning Callum Harriott made way for Courtney Senior as the U’s looked for a breakthrough goal.
A goal did come on fifty five minutes, but it was the visitors that were celebrating.
A corner was whipped into the near post area and Stockton got away from his marker to head goalwards.
A deflection took it into the net, giving Gerken no chance and the visitors had a lead that they looked intent on keeping.
Tom Lapslie was replaced by Luke Gambin on seventy five minutes, and it was starting to look like the U’s would finish the game the stronger.
They were denied a leveller on eighty minutes, as Roche was finally tested by Senior’s left foot drive – he passed the test with a great save to his left to keep it at 1-0.
There was one more chance for the U’s, coming in injury time, but a strong defensive block prevented Norris from scoring from eight yards out.
It was a disappointing result for the U’s that took them down to eleventh, but the points’ difference to the Play-Offs remained at two points.