Colchester United staged a dramatic late comeback to claim a vital 3-2 victory at Fleetwood Town this afternoon and boost their chances of staying up.

At one stage in the second half, it looked as though the U's were facing relegation after they found themselves losing at Highbury and other results going against them.

But despite going 2-1 down, two goals in as many minutes helped Colchester turn things around and secure a win that leaves them two points off safety, with two games remaining.

Colchester shaded a lacklustre first half and created the better opportunities before half-time.

Chris Porter came agonisingly close to connecting with Gavin Massey’s cross at the far post in the opening minutes, while Jacob Murphy fired into the side netting from Porter’s pass, as the U’s pressed for an opener.

Fleetwood were not without their chances before the break and Tom Eastman’s clearance from near his own goal-line prevented Antoni Sarcevic’s header from heading into the net.

But Colchester looked the more likely of the two sides to break the deadlock.

They had a great chance to go ahead when Porter stabbed wide at the near post from Richard Brindley’s low cross when he should have scored.

Sam Walker spilled Nick Haughton’s low free-kick but at the other end. Massey’s volley was saved well by Chris Maxwell at his near post after David Fox’s fine pass, before Murphy fired straight at the keeper after finding more space on the left.

Colchester went in level at the break but they needed less than two minutes to make the breakthrough, after half-time.

After Murphy’s brilliant run had seen him run at the Fleetwood defence, he squared the ball to Moncur who drilled home in front of the travelling U’s fans.

Ashley Hunter drilled straight at Walker after escaping the Colchester defence soon after and seconds after making a double substitution, Fleetwood equalised just before the midway point in the second half.

After Richard Brindley had slipped in the area, substitute David Ball’s shot was saved by Walker but Proctor followed up to score from six yards.

And eight minutes later the U’s fell behind when Ball latched onto Proctor’s pass and shrugged off Bongani Khumalo before firing past Walker and in.

There were some unsavoury scenes after that, with the frustration too much for some angry U’s fans who made their feelings known.

But the U's dramatically turned things around in the space of two minutes.

Gavin Massey equalised when his cross-cum-shot squirmed past keeper Maxwell, although substitute Macauley Bonne may have got the final touch.

And less than two minutes later, substitute Dion Sembie-Ferris was fouled in the area by Nathan Pond and Porter slotted home the resultant penalty, to leave the U's fans in dreamland.

Some Colchester fans celebrated a little too much and ran onto the pitch.

But when the game did eventually get underway again they held on through six minutes of stoppage-time, to claim a precious win.

For five pages of coverage of the U’s game with Fleetwood Town, see Monday’s Daily Gazette.