The young Colchester side put in a passionate performance in awful conditions against second-placed Upminster, but were finally beaten by an injury time try.

Following their heavy defeat at Billericay a fortnight earlier Colchester started the game well putting early pressure on the Upminster defence, and when the visitors gave away a penalty in front of the posts Dan Howson converted the kick to give Colchester a 3-0 lead after 5 minutes.

Upminster then surged upfield and they were awarded a very kickable penalty, but over-confidence prompted them to go for a try.

Colchester defended stoically and eventually cleared their lines to make Upminster rue their decision not to take the three points on offer.

With the rain pouring down the Colchester forwards constantly harried their opponents, and Colt Jez Castle in particular disrupted Upminster's game plan, stealing three line-outs and putting in big tackles on the half-backs.

After 30 minutes Upminster were in Colchester's 22 metre area when All Black flanker Lee Amman was sin-binned for dissent.

Upminster took a quick tap penalty and lock Martyn Byrne scored to give Upminster a 5-3 lead.

Two minutes before half-time the visitors kicked the ball towards the Colchester line where full back Mike Fields gathered, but rather than kick to touch he elected to run the ball out.

The Upminster players following up caught Fields and turned the ball over before scoring another try and giving themselves a 10-3 lead at the break. The storm clouds parted and the soggy ground was bathed in sunshine, and Colchester started brightly pressuring Upminster into giving away another penalty.

Howson slotted it over to reduce the arrears to four points, although the ball first hit the upright and then bounced along the crossbar before finally falling on the Upminster side.

With the home team having the better of play Upminster No.8 Grant Livingstone was sin-binned, again for dissent, and Colchester really began to press forward.

Hooker Roy Abrehart,back from a long lay-off due to injury, stole a scrum against the head and the All Blacks threw everything at Upminster who put up a desperate defence.

But the pressure from Colchester was overwhelming and when the ball was spread to the backs London Division centre Sam Girdlestone found a gap to ground the ball under the posts, Howson converting.

With 25 minutes to go, and with the players so muddy that it was difficult to tell the difference between the sides, it was Upminster's turn to increase the pressure, and Colchester held out until the fourth minute of injury time.

A Colchester scrum five metres from their line was stolen by Upminster who drove over for Livingstone to score the winning try.

Jez Castle about to steal a lineout.

Dan Howson converts to give Colchester a 3-0 lead

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