Colchester United's season sunk to a new low at a rain-sodden Weston Homes Community Stadium this afternoon after they were beaten 3-0 by fellow strugglers Leyton Orient.

There were loud boos at the final whistle from the frustrated U's fans as they slumped to a miserable defeat, in front of a bumper crowd of more than 7,000.

It is now no wins in nine league matches for Colchester, after another hugely disappointing defeat.

Colchester head coach John McGreal made five changes to his starting line-up from the side that lost 2-1 to Chesterfield in the FA Cup, seven days earlier.

The U’s were forced into a last-minute change after captain Luke Prosser got injured in the warm-up, with Frankie Kent coming into central defence in his place.

Glen Kamara was handed his first league start for Colchester since joining them on loan from Arsenal, while there were also welcome returns from injury for Tom Lapslie, who skippered the U’s in the absence of Prosser and Brennan Dickenson.

Macauley Bonne was also rewarded for his midweek goal against Charlton Athletic in the Checkatrade Trophy with a place in the starting line-up.

Craig Slater, Sammie Szmodics, Denny Johnstone and Kane Vincent-Young all dropped out of the starting line-up.

Colchester made the worst possible start after they fell behind in the 11th minute.

After the U's had failed to clear on edge of area, Kamara's stray pass inadvertently found Jay Simpson who clinically fired in low and hard past Sam Walker.

It was almost 2-0 two minutes later when Simpson found more space inside the U’s area and fired in a powerful shot on the turn that Walker did well to save low to his left and parry away.

Colchester struggled to find a rhythm in the opening half hour but Richard Brindley's long-range effort flew over, before four minutes before half-time Drey Wright picked up possession on the left and cut inside before planting a shot straight in to Alex Cisak's arms.

The U’s changed their system in the closing stages of the first half, playing three centre-halves and Brindley and Dickenson as wing-backs.

And they almost pulled a goal back just before the break when Guthrie blasted over from five yards from Dickenson's cross.

But Colchester found themselves further behind less than a minute after the restart when Nicky Hunt picked up possession on the O’s right and curled a low shot past Walker and into his far post.

Guthrie inexplicably side-footed wide from Dickenson's low cross soon after.

And Dickenson unleashed a shot that flew over the bar, after escaping down the left before being denied by Cisak's good save at his near post.

Substitute Craig Slater’s fierce effort from the edge of the area whistled just over the bar before Orient made it 3-0 midway through the second half when Simpson found too much space just outside the U’s area and unleashed a fierce shot that flew past a motionless Walker.

Walker denied former U's attacker Gavin Massey and also made a brilliant stop to push over Robbie Weir's well-struck effort, as Orient threatened another goal.

Substitute Tarique Fosu felt he might had had a penalty late on when he fell in the box but no spot-kick was awarded and Colchester crashed to a big home defeat.