Colchester United will progress no further in this season's Emirates FA Cup, after being knocked out by League One Wigan Athletic in the Second Round of the tournament.
The U's were superior in the first half, despite falling a goal behind to Callum Lang's first of the game. Hayden Mullins' side were back on level terms on the stroke of half time, but fell behind to another Lang goal fifteen minutes before the end.
Late chances came and went, with the League One side progressing to the Third Round of the tournament.
Hayden Mullins made one change to his Colchester United starting eleven that beat Swindon Town 2-1 in the Papa John's Trophy on Tuesday evening, with Junior Tchamadeu replacing Miles Welch-Hayes at right back.
Colchester United made the brighter start of the two teams, with Chilvers and Sears both seeing good efforts fly just over the bar in the first quarter of an hour.
And Alan Judge was making life difficult for his League One opponents, with driving runs towards the back line, and dangerous deliveries in for the Latics to deal with.
But the U's weren't able to capitalise on their good pressure before the visitors took the lead in the tie in the twenty-fourth minute of the game. Callum Lang was the man on target for Leam Richardson's side, diverting the ball into the top corner of the net from Gavin Massey's cross.
The U's were quickly back knocking on the Wigan Atletic door though, and dominated the remainder of the first forty-five minutes other than one good effort from Will Keane that had to be saved by Jake Turner.
Sylvester Jasper forced Jamie Jones into his first save of the match, after a good counter attack from the home side, with Alan Judge clipping the ball to the back post. But the Fulham-loanee's header was clawed away by Jones to deny an equaliser.
But the Wigan goalkeer and former Colchester United loanee could do nothing about Freddie Sears' ninth goal of the campaign, netting the equaliser on the stroke of half time.
Another quick break from the U's saw Sears bag his sixth goal in nine games, with a sublime finish from outside the area. Armando Dobra passed the ball to the forward who curled his effort in off the inside of the post to make it 1-1, and change Hayden Mullins' half time team talk for the home side.
The U's continued their pressure on the Latics' goal after the break, and almost took the lead with what would have been another superb goal from the home side.
Noah Chilvers was the man making the strike, a curling volley from a tight angle that had Jones worried as the ball flew just inches wide of the apex of the goal.
But the League One side soon found their feet in the second period, and started to pepper Jake Turner's goal.
Former Colchester United man, Gavin Massey had two good efforts with one going just over the bar from outside the area. But the other, better chance, came after good work on the right wing, with Massey's outside-of-the-boot effort just flying wide of the far post.
In a tight second half, there was little to separate the two teams. But a quick break from the visitors regained them the lead with fifteen minutes to play, as Callum Lang got his second of the game. He finished his driving run with a finish across Turner to make it 2-1 to the Latics with time running out for the U's.
And with time running out for the home side, the U's pressed forwards more and more in search of a goal to send the tie to a replay, even sendig Jake Turner up for a couple of corner in the last minutes of the game.
But the League One side ran out eventual winners in the tie, progressing to the Third Round of the competition.
Up next for the U's, a trip to Bradford City in the return to league action on Wednesday night.
Colchester United starting XI: Turner, Chambers, Smith, Skuse (Cooper 83'), Judge (Wiredu 72'), Sears, Chilvers, Jasper, Dobra (Tovide 83), Tchamadeu, Coxe.
Unused subs: Gerken, McCoulsky, Daniels, Hutchinson, Marshall Miranda, Beadle.
Wigan Athletic starting XI: Ja Jones, Watts, Pearce (McClean 76'), Whatmough, Cousins (Naylor 65'), Power, Keane, Massey (Edwards 76'), Kerr (Darikwa 65'), Lang, Humphrys (Jo Jones 76').
Unused subs: Amos, Tilt, Bayliss, Aasgaard.