Colchester United's under-23s bowed out of the Premier League Cup tonight after losing 2-0 in their quarter-final at Portsmouth Reserves.

Second-half strikes from Nicke Kabamba and Jamal Lowe proved the difference between the two sides at Havant and Waterlooville FC's Westleigh Park ground, as Wayne Brown's side missed out on a semi-final spot.

Lewis Kinsella and Kane Vincent-Young both featured for Colchester under-23s, who had beaten the likes of Manchester City and Sunderland on route to the quarter-finals of the competition.

The first half was a goal-less affair but Colchester missed a golden opportunity to take the lead seven minutes before the break when Tariq Issa's penalty was superbly saved by Pompey keeper Liam O'Brien.

And it proved a vital moment as Portsmouth went ahead seven minutes after the break through Kabamba, who latched onto Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain's header on to control and then finish past U's keeper Dillon Barnes.

Colchester fell further behind with six minutes remaining thanks to Lowe's powerful run and finish and that was the way it stayed, as their fine run in the competition came to an end.

Colchester United: Barnes, Vincent-Young, Peter, Kensdale, Kinsella, Diaz Wright, Howard, Issa, Dunne, Edge, McKeown.

Substitutes: Wilson, Keys, Brown, Jones.