Joe Dunne felt his Colchester United side deserved more than their 1-0 defeat at Doncaster Rovers.

The struggling U's looked like they were heading for a much-needed point at the Keepmoat Stadium, until David Cotterill struck an 84th-minute winner for the high-flying hosts.

Colchester have now suffered eight successive defeats in League One, a new club record.

However, U's boss Dunne said their performance warranted more than they got from the game. He said: “It doesn’t make it any easier to take that it took a top-quality goal to beat us.

“I thought that we were magnificent and that we were the better team.

“I thought that we controlled the ball and that we got into some great positions.

“We tested their back four and I don’t think that we deserved to lose the game.”

Dunne admitted Colchester were beaten by a strike that was worthy of winning any game.

Cotterill collected possession on the left flank before curling a delightful shot past the helpless dive of U’s goalkeeper Mark Cousins, to win the game for Doncaster.

“It was an excellent goal and I think that it was their first meaningful shot of the game and it cost us,” added the U’s boss.

“We could have probably prevented it from higher up the pitch because we lost possession but you can’t take anything away from the finish.”

See Monday’s Gazette for more reaction from Colchester’s defeat at Doncaster Rovers, plus a full match report and pictures from the game.