COLCHESTER United head coach Hayden Mullins bemoaned the 'really, really poor errors' made by his side after they slumped to a 3-0 defeat at Port Vale.

The U's were comprehensively beaten at Vale Park to suffer their heaviest defeat of the season so far, after goals from James Gibbons, James Wilson and Aaron Martin gave the hosts victory.

Colchester did create their own fair share of chances but they came up against a vibrant Vale side who have moved up to second spot in the League Two table, with their win.

The U's lie 19th after the defeat and boss Mullins admitted their contributed to their own downfall.

Mullins said: "We made some really, really poor errors and we got done for it and punished.

"Finding yourself 2-0 down away here, it's tough.

"They started fast and pressed us and we played into their hands a bit, at times.

"It wasn't once, it was three or four times.

"You kind of get a warning once and that's your warning and you take heed of it.

"We gave it away a couple of times in really dangerous areas, which was the uncomfortable thing.

"It's not like us and we've been quite solid, away from home where we've had a real defence-first mechanism.

"We knew aerially back to front, they'd be a threat and they're quite quick.

"But we kind of played into their hands, in terms of turnover and ball in midfield.

"We made a change at half-time and recognised that we wanted to get Miles (Welch-Hayes) a little higher up the pitch.

"You try and prepare and set up as well as you can approach the game but the individual errors and the goals that we gave away today were poor."

Goals from Gibbons and Wilson put Vale two goals ahead, inside the opening 16 minutes before substitute Martin added a third for the hosts, after half-time.

"The team go 2-0 up at home and they gain momentum," said Mullins.

"The fans get a little bit louder and it becomes a tough afternoon.

"We came here with a game plan but that kind of goes out of the window as we gifted them chances in areas of the pitch they could hurt us.

"We knew it would be a tough game but we didn't envisage that we'd concede these type of goals."

Colchester did have their chances in the game, with Brendan Wiredu, Freddie Sears, Noah Chilvers and Frank Nouble all going close.

Unfortunately though, the U's had nothing to show for their efforts, in the end.

Mullins said: "We have to take one of our opportunities.

"We had two or three great chances before half-time and I think if we take one of them, it's a different game.

"We would have had a bit more of a foothold in the game and can really attack the second half.

"I thought we started the second half well and pushed them back in spells and had the impetus.

"But we concede a corner again, it sort of takes a couple of ricochets and goes in and you know it's not your afternoon.

"We knew it was a tough game against a decent side in Port Vale but we gifted them a few chances today."