Colchester United saw their five-match away winning streak come to an end with a 1-0 defeat at Carlisle United.
Alfie McCalmont bagged the only goal of the game with just four minutes on the clock, slotting home under Kieran O’Hara.
And the game saw few chances in front of goal for either side in a noisy Brunton Park. Jon Mellish went close for the hosts, as did Noah Chilvers for the visitors, but the early goal proved enough for the hosts to claim all three points and strengthen their position in the automatic promotion places of League Two.
It’s another tough test up next for the U’s with fourth-placed Northampton Town visiting the JobServe Community Stadium next weekend, where the U’s will hope to start another good run of form.
Colchester United boss Matt Bloomfield named a side with five changes to the starting eleven from Tuesday’s draw against Walsall.
Luke Chambers missed out with the injury he sustained against the Saddlers, with Junior Tchamadeu suspended for collecting his tenth booking of the season.
Sticking with the same familiar 3-5-2 formation, Tommy Smith slotted in the middle of the back three for his ninety-ninth Colchester United appearance, with Kelleher on the right, Hall on the left and Kieran O’Hara between the sticks.
Arthur Read and Ossama Ashley made up the sitting two midfielders, flanked by Will Greenidge on the right for his full club debut and Connor Wood; Noah Chilvers lined up just ahead of those four with Kwesi Appiah and Samson Tovide leading the line at Brunton Park.
If the U’s were going to break the record for consecutive away victories, they were going to have to do it the hard way after finding themselves behind after just four minutes.
Connor Wood’s header back towards Kieran O’Hara didn’t have the required power, with McCalmont nipping in to finish low beyond the U’s ‘keeper from just inside the penalty area.
Nevertheless, the travelling U’s fans continued to make much of the noise around a windy Brunton Park, and nearly had an equaliser to celebrate less than ten minutes later.
A quick break from Matt Bloomfield’s allowed an audacious attempt from Noah Chilvers. The midfielder looked to catch Tomas Holy out while he was off his line, but the ball landed just wide of the near post.
However, the next chance of the match fell to the home side – a chance that Jon Mellish should have converted. Omari Patrick got the better of Fiacre Kelleher to deliver a low cross to the advanced defender, but Mellish could only skew his effort wide from close range.
The U’s grew back into what was becoming a tightly contested match, piling the pressure on Tomas Holy’s goal with free kicks and corners tossed into the eighteen yard box.
Unable to get themselves back on level terms before the break, Matt Bloomfield’s side headed to the dressing room a goal down at half time, but not before a lengthy stoppage after an injury to Ossama Ashley.
The U’s midfielder appeared to have his leg trodden on after a tussle with his marker. Play was stopped for all of four minutes while the physio cleaned up the wound, with Ashley able to continue and reappear for the second half.
Neither side opted for a change during the fifteen-minute break, but it was only eight minutes before Matt Bloomfield made his first alterations to the team.
Ossama Ashley, Samson Tovide and Will Greenidge were withdrawn in a triple change for the U’s, replaced by Matt Jay, Tom Hopper and Alex Newby with just over thirty-five minutes to play.
And one of the substitutes almost had an instant impact on the game. Matt Jay collected a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area, but could only shoot over the crossbar with just over thirty minutes to play.
It was then the turn of the hosts to make changes, as Paul Simpson opted to switch his front two. Patrick and Garner headed to the bench, with League Two top scorer Kristian Dennis coming on, alongside John-Kymani Gordon.
The U’s were improved with the substitutions in their battle to get back into the game, but it was still proving to be a tight contest.
With fifteen minutes to play, Bloomfield made his fourth change of the afternoon. John Akinde came on for Connor Wood in an attacking switch that also brought about a change of shape; the U’s moved to a four-man defence with Alex Newby on the right and Connor Hall on the left.
It prompted further pressure on Holy’s goal, but the home defence was able to hold strong. Four minutes of injury time allowed Noah Chilvers the opportunity to shoot from the edge of the penalty area against a Carlisle United leg in the final chance of the match before the U’s five-game winning streak away from home came to an end.
The slender defeat sees the U’s drop two places in the league standings to eighteenth with thirty-five points from thirty-three matches.
Up next for Matt Bloomfield’s side is a return to the JobServe Community Stadium to take on another promotion-chasing side in the form of Northampton Town next weekend.
Carlisle United starting XI: Holy, Armer, Moxon, Feeney, Huntington, Guy, Patrick (Dennis 65’), Ellis (Whelan 80’), Mellish, McCalmont (Gibson 83’), Garner (Gordon 65’).
Subs: Kelly, Gibson, Dennis, Whelan, Harris, Robinson, Gordon.
Colchester United starting XI: O’Hara, Greenidge (Newby 54’), Smith, Appiah, Chilvers, Kelleher, Read, Ashley (Jay 54’), Wood (Akinde 75’), Hall, Tovide (54’).
Subs: Smith (GK), Newby, Jay, Akinde, Hopper, Kazeem, Marshall Miranda.
Attendance: 5,550 (148)