Colchester United were beaten at Sutton United

Will Randall’s stoppage-time winner condemned the U’s to a fifth straight league defeat at Gander Green Lane, leaving them three points above the League Two relegation zone.

Colchester had led twice in the game through debutant Owura Edwards and Freddie Sears, only for Isaac Olaofe to twice cancel out their advantage, before Randall’s winner.

Mullins said: “It was a tough one to take.

“We led twice and we came to do a job on them, which I think we did for a large part of the game.

“To get beat at that stage of the game was a tough one.

“We knew it would be a tough game but that bit at the end with (Will Randall) cutting inside, we have to hold on to block that shot.

“We’ve got to stop shots and we can’t allow that to happen, especially at that stage of the game and with bodies around it - we’ve got to block the shot.

“We wanted to put pressure on their back four and we proved that if we did that, we would make mistakes.

“We got in there a number of times and it was never going to be a nice, easy game – it proved that when we played them previously.

“We wanted to go back to front a lot quicker and force them into errors and we did that.

“We got ourselves two goals and away from home, that should be enough to get at least a draw.

“To get done in the last minute is a tough one to take.”

Colchester are now without a win in eight matches in all competitions and have conceded 15 goals in their last six games.

“We’re conceding silly errors,” said Mullins.

“Sutton are a team that test you from all angles.

“They make no apologies and they put the ball in the area where it’s dangerous and you’ve got to defend it and if you’re not up to that, they will capitalise.

“I thought for large periods, we did deal with what they put in the box.

“We knew it would be a tough game but that bit right at the end, with him (Randall) coming inside in the 18-yard box, we have to have someone to block that shot.

“Everything that we stood up to in the game, we scored two goals and look a threat on the counter-attack, we get done by a soft goal, which was poor from us.

“It’s a situation where we have to stay switched on and at that stage of the game, there’s no way we should be allowing that to happen with space for him to come inside and get a shot off like that.

“We’ve really got to tighten up in both boxes and be more alive and more switched on to danger.

“If we do that right (against Sutton), we definitely come away with a result.”

Mullins had been looking for a reaction from his Colchester side, following their disappointing 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Barrow, last weekend.

It was a much-improved display but the U’s nevertheless came away empty handed.

Mullins added: “To go to Sutton and to play against a team who are third in the division and are a strong, powerful side – it was much improved but we needed to put in a much improved performance.

“The players were aware of that and they reacted to that well, what we wanted to do well and the areas of the pitch where we wanted to hurt them we identified and they did that well.

“It was just the other side of it and withs the goal we concede at the end, we need to block that shot and be tighter, in that period of the game.”

Colchester are next in action this weekend when they travel to play Salford City.