Colchester United's slim play-off hopes now look even more distant after they were beaten 1-0 at home by League Two leaders Accrington Stanley.

Billy Kee struck the visitors' winner just after the hour mark to earn them a seventh straight victory in League Two, leaving the U's destined for a third successive campaign in the fourth tier with four games of the season remaining.

Colchester head coach John McGreal named an unchanged starting line-up for his side’s home game with Accrington.

Drey Wright shrugged off a knock in order to play but Brennan Dickenson (thigh) and Tom Lapslie (hamstring) both missed out again, due to injury.

McGreal also named the substitutes for the visit of the league leaders to the Community Stadium.

The first half was a very even affair, which Accrington shaded in terms of attacking play and goalscoring chances.

Jordan Clark’s seventh-minute audacious lob sailed comfortably over the bar from 20 yards for Stanley, for whom Mark Hughes’ fierce left-foot strike was pushed away at his near post by U’s goalkeeper Sam Walker a few minutes later, after Sean McConville had whipped the ball into the area.

Accrington continued to try and carve out opportunities and midway through the first half, Callum Johnson’s low cross was only parried away by Walker for right-back Ryan Jackson to clear for a corner from under the nose of the lurking McConville.

Both sides showed each other plenty of respect in an even first half but Colchester almost fell behind just before the half hour when skipper Seamus Conneely fired a first-time shot inches past the post after Clark had helped Hughes’ pass into his path.

But the sides went in level at the break but Colchester started the second half well, forcing Accrington on the defensive.

Courtney Senior’s 30-yard strike dropped just wide of the far post while a minute later, Drey Wright’s deflected cross-shot bobbled inches wide of the far post after Sammie Szmodics had sent him into the area.

But Walker had to make a smart stop seconds later to prevent Colchester from falling behind, after Kayden Jackson had raced through on goal.

And the U’s trailed in the 63rd minute when Walker palmed a Clark cross onto the lurking Kee and into the net, from close range.

Walker made excellent stops in the minutes that followed Accrington taking the lead to deny both Jackson and Kee from point-blank range, as the visitors looked to wrap up their win.

Jackson fired a shot straight at Walker in stoppage-time, as the U's were narrowly beaten.