COLCHESTER United head coach Hayden Mullins could not fault his players despite their 1-0 defeat to Gillingham in their Papa John's Trophy group opener.

A stoppage-time goal from Robbie McKenzie secured victory for the League One visitors in the Group A curtain-raiser, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

U's boss Mullins made six changes to his starting line-up and was forced to make a seventh when Miles Welch-Hayes was injured in the warm-up.

And after Welch-Hayes' replacement Harry Beadle limped off with an ankle injury with 20 minutes remaining, the hosts were forced to play the final 20 minutes of the game with only ten men having already made all three of their permitted substitutions.

Gillingham eventually capitalised on their numerical advantage with a late winner but there were plenty of positives on the night for Colchester, much to Mullins' satisfaction.

Mullins said: "I'm very frustrated with how the game has panned out, with the goal we conceded right at the death.

"Six minutes were put up and there were a few stoppages and breaks in play.

"But I think six minutes is still a little bit too much.

"It took for us to go down to ten men for them to really cause us a bit of a problem.

"I thought that for the last majority of the game, we were much the better side.

"I said to the boys at the end of the game that if you give me that every week, then I'll be happy.

"There's nothing tonight that I'm unhappy with, at all.

"I was so happy with the energy, some of the play, some of the creativity, the pressing, the passing - loads of bits.

"It was just unfortunate that we'd made a couple of substitutions, we got an injury, we had to go down to ten men for the last 20 minutes and we were hanging on, at the end a little bit but that's football.

"We played really well but we got beat and there were reasons why we got beat and it wasn't a poor performance.

"We were a young, young side - you've got to remember that - that was the most pleasing thing."

Armando Dobra impressed on his Colchester debut, having joined them on loan from neighbours Ipswich Town on transfer deadline day, last week.

The young attacker linked up to good effect with fellow loanee Sylvester Jasper, with the duo both giving the Gillingham defence problems throughout with their skill, pace and trickery.

Mullins added: "They're two fantastic young talents.

"I'm sure that they'll have a really good career, in football.

"They've got to be free on the football pitch - they're players, they're creators and they can't go on the pitch with too much going on in their head.

"You need to let them go out and really express themselves.

"Like they showed, they can be the difference and we need them out there and firing."

Colchester are now preparing for their League Two clash at Barrow, on Friday night.