Ryan Jackson believes Colchester United deserved much more than they got from their game at Notts County.

The U’s looked on course to secure a well-merited point after substitute Sanmi Odelusi came off the bench to score an 89th-minute equaliser, with his first touch of the ball, to cancel out Shola Ameobi’s penalty.

But just when it looked as though the U’s were set to secure a draw and extend their unbeaten league run, they conceded a late Ryan Yates’ header to lose 2-1 at Meadow Lane and depart Nottinghamshire empty-handed.

The defeat brought to an end Colchester’s six-match unbeaten league run and right wing-back Jackson feels they should have had more to show for their efforts.

Jackson said: “We deserved a lot more from the game than we got.

“We worked very hard and played very good football.

“But it was just one of those games where if chances had gone our way, we could have come out winning the game.

“But sometimes that’s just football and you don’t get what you deserve.

“We outplayed them and we out-battled them and I think we had way too much for them but we didn’t turn those goals into a win.

“We worked our socks off to try and get a goal and when we did, we felt like we were going to get at least a point from the match.

“Credit to Sanmi – he’s worked very hard and that’s when you’ve got to see the game out but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Colchester had gone into the game on the back of three successive league clean sheets and had gone more than six and a half hours of football without conceding, prior to Ameobi’s penalty.

They then having got back into the contest conceded from a set-piece and Jackson admits they were punished for their costly mistake.

Jackson, who won the second-half penalty that Mikael Mandron had saved by Notts County keeper Ross Fitzsimons, said: “It was one of those where there was a lapse in concentration.

“Someone has obviously left their runner and they’ve punished us.

“We’ve been defending so well and it was just one dip in concentration that led to the goal.”

Colchester host Coventry City in under-23 Professional Development League Two this afternoon at Florence Park, kick-off 1pm.