JOHN McGreal felt his side's 1-0 defeat at Grimsby Town tonight was a game Colchester United should not have lost after they were beaten at Blundell Park.

Wes Thomas's well-taken strike proved the difference between the two sides after the U's failed to score for only the second time in League Two, this season.

Colchester had plenty of opportunities to find the net throughout the course of the 90 minutes though, with Courtney Senior hitting the woodwork and Luke Norris denied in a one-on-one situation with Mariners goalkeeper James McKeown.

U's head coach McGreal said: "We've had enough chances but we weren't clinical enough.

"I think it's only the second time that we haven't scored, this season.

"We created good chances and we hit the bar, where we should be scoring.

"They started really well and we had to weather their storm which I thought we did.

"We were a bit tentative towards the end of the first half and we started the second half well.

"It was pretty nip and tuck in the second half but I just felt that we were gaining a little bit of the upper hand.

"We gave a poor goal away but after that, we were camped in their half with lots of final third entries, without hitting shots properly or getting on the end of things.

"It's one that's got away from us tonight - I don't think we should be losing that game.

"They stuck at it and put bodies on the line like we had at Morecambe on Saturday, to get the three big points."

Defender Ryan Jackson's rare error led to Thomas scoring the winner for Grimsby but McGreal said: "We got punished for it when Ryan's given the ball away but he's been brilliant for us.

"It's a mistake and he's been punished for it and it's one where the boys reacted really well.

"We huffed and puffed looking to get the goal and we appreciate the fans turning up."