Colchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle this afternoon after losing 2-1 at home to League One side Chesterfield.

Ched Evans' strike early in the second half saw the U's beaten, after substitute Tarique Fosu had cancelled out Jay O'Shea's opener for the Spireites in front of a crowd of 1,840 at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

It means Colchester have now gone ten matches in all competitions without a win.

Colchester head coach John McGreal made two changes to his starting line-up for their FA Cup tie against Chesterfield.

Tom Eastman and Sammie Szmodics were both recalled to the side for the first-round clash, with Chris Porter and Lloyd Doyley both missing out due to injury.

After a quiet opening, Chesterfield almost struck the first blow when Ched Evans’ well-hit volley straight into the arms of keeper Sam Walker after Ian Evatt had nodded on a free-kick.

Walker then dived to comfortably save Tom Anderson’s header from Kristian Dennis’s cross but the visitors were growing in confidence and took the lead midway through the first half.

Dennis ran at the U’s back four and threaded through a pass to Jay O’Shea who calmly slotted low past Walker from close range.

Colchester almost fell further behind just before the half hour when Walker pushed away O’Shea’s low effort at his far post and Evans was unable to convert the rebound after closing in and the U’s keeper also grabbed Gary Liddle’s header from a corner grabbed under his crossbar.

Colchester came close to equalising nine just before half-time when Kurtis Guthrie’s diving header from Drey Wright’s cross flashed inches past the near post.

And minutes later, Wright was denied by keeper Ryan Fulton from close range after being fed by Denny Johnstone in the area.

But Colchester went in trailing at the break and made a change at half-time, bringing on winger Tarique Fosu in place of Kane Vincent-Young in a bid to force an equaliser.

And he made an immediate impact, scoring with his first touch of the game and equalising for the U’s with the second half just 53 seconds old with a precise low finish into the far corner.

Colchester came agonisingly close to taking the lead five minutes later when Luke Prosser’s header from Wright’s corner clattered the crossbar with Fulton beaten.

And a minute later, the U’s fell behind again when Evans emphatically volleyed home from Anderson’s header on from a free-kick.

Colchester thought they should have had a penalty when Guthrie tumbled under Ian Evatt’s challenge in the area, seconds after he had been denied by Fulton.

But although substitute Macauley Bonne went close late on with a powerful effort that Fulton did well to hold and also had a header saved, they were unable to muster an equaliser and bowed out of the FA Cup.