Colchester United's teenage sensation Lomana Tresor Lua Lua paid the ultimate price for one moment of costly Easter Monday madness - he was sent off for stupidly kicking Burnley's Paul Cook.

It cost him and his U's team-mates three crucial second division points and a vital victory over their fellow strugglers at Turf Moor.

The U's were leading 1-0 courtesy of a brilliantly-executed David Gregory goal when exciting French Zairos winger Lua Lua kicked out at Stockport loanee Cook nine minutes into the second half.

Bootle referee George Cain had already blown for a foul against the Burnley man.

Cain had little option other than to brandish the red card after consulting a linesman - and Cook was the first to admit after the match that Lua Lua's stupidity cost the U's the game.

The Burnley schemer said: "Although we enjoyed most of the posession the boy's sending-off was definitely the turning point of the game.

"He had already won a free-kick after I brought him down for a foul, but as he came past he kicked out at me which the linesman saw.

"You can't do that sort of thing and get away with it. But he's only young and to be fair to the boy he made a point of coming over to shake hands with me as he left the pitch."

It took Burnley only three more minutes to cash in on ten-man U's misfortune, thanks to a Lenny Johnrose equaliser.

And from that moment on the writing was well and truly on the wall for the U's and the pressure was non-stop.

The Layer Road men, superbly anchored by goalkeeper Carl Emberson and his over-worked back four - Fabrice Richard, Stephane Pounewatchy, David Greene and Richard Wilkins - weathered the storm magnificently until eight minutes from the end.

Then, the ever-dangerous Andy Payton swivelled in the penalty box to score the first of his two late deciding goals, his second coming two minutes into injury time.

Colchester went into the game minus suspended duo Joe Dunne and Neil Gregory and with fit again skipper Wilkins - making only his second appearance in eight games - playing at left-back.

Although Burnley enjoyed most of the early pressure, the U's twice threatened danger in the opening eight minutes via Jason Dozzell and Warren Aspinall.

The U's fired another warning shot of what was to follow when Karl Duguid flashed a cracking 25-yard drive inches wide in the 26th minute following a great four-man move and an Aspinall corner.

Colchester gained the reward they were seeking 60 seconds later when hero-cum-villain Lua Lua took on three Burnley defenders only to see the ball break kindly for Gregory to curl an unstoppable right-foot shot into the top corner for a great goal from 25 yards.

It was leading scorer Gregory's 14th goal of the season. But the U's enjoyed a lucky let-off 11 minutes before half time when Aspinall was ideally placed to clear a goalbound Johnrose header off the line with keeper Carl Emberson beaten.

Burnley finished the first 45 minutes strongly and after Emberson twice thwarted Payton, the keeper had a lucky break on the stroke of half time when he failed to hold a cross and saw the loose ball hit Pickering and sail dangerously close past the far post

There was an early second half let-off also when a Gordon Armstrong through ball put Payton clear on goal, but Emberson raced off his line to save brilliantly with his legs when it looked easier to score.

Then the fun and games began and in the space of three crazy minutes Lua Lua was sent packing and Johnrose equalised.

The goal was particularly rough luck on Emberson who pulled out a fantastic flying save to push away a thundering Pickering drive only for Johnrose to steal in at the far post to head the ball home.

Emberson's opposite number, Paul Crichton, was a virtual second-half spectator as his team-mates poured forward insessantly against the U's gallant ten men who soaked up everything the Lancastrians threw at them until finally buckling in the 82nd minute.

The lively Payton, despite being covered by three defenders, was allowed to turn unchallenged ten yards out in front of goal before lashing a vicious shot past Emberson's despairing fingertips.

Emberson came to the rescue, however, with a great save to deny half-time substitute Graham Branch.

But the underfire keeper stood no chance when Branch rounded Pounewatchy on the by-line in time added on to set up a simple close-range chance for Payton to sweep in Burnley's third.

It was the northerners' third league double of the season and the third time in the last four matches the U's have been doubled themselves.

Lua Lua gets his marching orders after a moment of madness

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