COLCHESTER United boss Danny Cowley admits his side played with too much fear after they drew 1-1 with Accrington Stanley this afternoon.

The U's looked like they were heading for a precious victory when Noah Chilvers fired them in front with a superb long-range strike, shortly before half-time.

And the hosts' chances of victory looked even greater when Accrington's Brad Hills was sent off, soon after the break.

But Colchester failed to seize the initiative in the second half and were made to pay when Riley Harbottle put through his own net, as the visitors claimed a point.

READ MORE: Match report as Colchester draw with ten-man Accrington

Cowley said: “Sometimes, the biggest mistake you can make in football is trying not to make a mistake.

“We played with too much fear and for us, it’s always to find the second goal in these moments.

“We were 1-0 up and were in total control of the game and the opponent goes down to ten men.

"I'm not sure if the second one is as much of a sending off as the first one (Mellor's challenge on Smith); the first one is 100 per cent a sending off and I don't know how the referee misses that but he does.

“Once they go down to ten men, you just need to find your rhythm with the ball and you need to be brave enough and we weren’t.

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“We got what we deserved and we conceded a goal against a team that didn’t have a shot on target.

“It’s our job to try to change the mentality of the group and that’s what we’re working hard to do.

“The hardest to affect in terms of players is probably never technical, tactical – it’s always the mentality.

“We didn’t show up when the team needed us and that was the truth.

"Too many didn't get to their levels, particularly in the second half."

READ MORE: Colchester United 1 Accrington Stanley 1 - as it happened

Cowley continued: "If we'd have won that game 1-0, I'd have come out and told you the truth.

"I don't get too caught up in the outcomes; I try to focus on the process and the process for me, second half in particular, I didn't think we played with rhythm.

"I didn't think we really found rhythm in the first half, if I'm honest.

"We certainly played a lot better last Saturday (at Harrogate) and that is a fact.

"I didn't quite think we got our goal-kick right or our throw-ons right and they're two moments in games when you get quite a lot of repetition and that normally allows you to get control and rhythm in your play and we didn't quite get that right."