COLCHESTER United boss Danny Cowley conceded it was a disappointing day for his side after they lost 3-0 at new League Two leaders Doncaster Rovers this afternoon.
The U's dropped out of the League Two play-off places and lie a point outside the top seven with two games remaining, after losing at the Eco Power Stadium.
First-half goals from Harry Clifton and Jordan Gibson and a late strike from substitute Patrick Kelly consigned Colchester to defeat, with Jamie McDonnell's ankle injury and Owura Edwards' red card compounding the U's misery.
It was the U's first defeat in five matches and boss Cowley admits they came up against a ruthless Doncaster side.
Cowley said: "Credit to Doncaster - they had a really good way into the game and they're a really good team.
READ MORE: Match report after Colchester are beaten at Doncaster
"They look like they're going to get promoted from this division, so congratulations to them, it was a good day.
"But for us, I thought a lot went against us if I'm honest.
"We're running out of players - that's the truth.
"After a difficult way into the game, we actually played really well for a long period in this game against a team who are now top of this division.
"Probably for 75 per cent of this game, from 2-0 up until Owura (Edwards) gets sent off, we had really good control.
"We did a lot of good things both against the ball and with the ball but we probably just lacked a little bit of quality in the final third.
"We didn't have the ruthlessness they had and I think that was the difference between the two teams really.
"Probably over the Easter weekend, that's been something for us to go away and try to work on.
"We just didn't quite commit to what we wanted to do and the way that we wanted to defend.
READ MORE: Doncaster Rovers 3 Colchester United 0 - as it happened
"Our success is always been about our principles which against the ball are always about distances and making sure we have good distance control and trust the distances and making sure we're aggressive with our pressure from there.
"For the first goal, we trapped them on the right hand side, we didn't really commit and Jamie McDonnell one of our best defenders is probably the one that had to jump and we didn't, we let them out, they got the good switch on and we know that they can be a real threat.
"Up until Owura getting sent off, they had three shots but two really good bits of quality from them for their goals, you have to credit them for that, with the quality of the cross and the quality of the finish."
Colchester will assess McDonnell's injury, after the on-loan Nottingham Forest youngster limped out of their defeat at Doncaster.
Cowley added: "He came into the game carrying his ankle.
"Unfortunately on Friday (against Crewe) on the pitch he's gone down a hole and twisted his ankle so we've caused that on ourself really but he's opened his ankle up.
"He strapped it and thought he was going to be alright and he trained yesterday and is as tough as they come but it looks like he's done a nasty one."
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