Colchester United suffered late heartbreak at Mansfield Town as the hosts stole all three points in second half stoppage time at the One Call Stadium.
It was a good start for Matt Bloomfield’s side who took the lead after just ten minutes. Alex Newby scored his second free kick in as many league games, before Will Swan pulled the hosts level before half time.
And a tight second period looked like it would see the points shared between the two, before Lucas Akins popped up in second half stoppage time to snatch the victory for the Stags.
Colchester United lined up with four changes from their last league action, with Kieran O’Hara, Tom Dallison, Kwesi Appiah and Dan Chesters all returning to the starting eleven.
Sam Hornby was missing from the matchday eighteen after picking up an injury at the end of the U’s win over Doncaster Rovers, with Al-Amin Kazeem, Samson Tovide and Frank Nouble sitting on the substitutes’ bench.
The U’s started the game brightly, keeping hold of possession for long periods in the opening ten minutes.
And Matt Bloomfield’s side were the ones to break the deadlock just after Alan Judge was brought down on the edge of the penalty area. Alex Newby needed no invitation to shoot from the free kick, curling his effort over the wall and into the corner of the goal to give the U’s a slender advantage.
The Stags pressed forward to try and find an equaliser, but O’Hara was on hand to prevent a tame Boateng effort from outside the penalty area.
But just after the half hour mark, Nigel Clough’s team were back level in the game. A miscued pass found its way to former U’s man Elliot Hewitt on the far side, with the defender delivering a good cross for Will Swan to power home at the back post.
Half chances came and went for both teams before the break, but an entertaining first forty-five minutes at the One Call Stadium was level at half time.
There were no changes at the break for either side, and it was a tight start to the second period.
The home side were doing more of the attacking play in the game, but the Stags were unable to test O’Hara in the U’s goal. Both Boateng and Hewitt fired high over the crossbar before the U’s created a chance of their own on the break.
Alex Newby raced forward, playing a neat pass through to Dan Chesters and the West Ham loanee brought out a good save from Pym.
Chesters was finding plenty of joy down the right flank, getting the better of McLaughin more often than not, and a couple of times was able to ping a cross into the penalty area to no avail.
Matt Bloomfield opted for a couple of changes with twenty minutes to play as Appiah and Judge were withdrawn for Sears and Huws. And Mansfield didn’t wait much longer to make their first change with Stephen Quinn coming off for Ollie Clarke.
It remained tight as both sides tentatively tried to get all three points, and Nigel Clough made the decisive change as the game entered stoppage time, bringing on Lucas Akins.
The late substitute was in the right place at the right time to nod the ball home from the centre of the penalty area, with celebrations continuing for some time for the home side as the U’s protested to the officials for offside.
There was another five minutes of injury time to come, but the U’s weren’t able to force home a late equaliser as the hosts stole all three points at the death.
Up next for Matt Bloomfield’s side is another away trip. Colchester United take on Sutton United at Gander Green Lane next weekend, the final away game before Christmas.
Mansfield Town starting XI: Pym, Hewitt, Hawkins, Harbottle, McLaughlin, Maris, Boateng, Quinn (Clarke 80’), Lapslie, Swan (Akins 90’), Oates.
Subs: Flinders, Gordon, Perch, Wallace, Clarke, Hartigan, Akins.
Colchester United starting XI: O’Hara, Chambers, Smith, Dallison, Hannant, Appiah (Sears 71’), Judge (Huws 71’), Ashley, Newby (Tovide 90’), Tchamadeu, Chesters (Nouble 90’).
Subs: Collins, Sears, Chilvers, Huws, Kazeem, Tovide, Nouble.
Attendance: 5,918 (163)