COLCHESTER United's four-match unbeaten run came to an abrupt end this afternoon after they were comprehensively beaten at in-form Swindon Town.

The U's conceded twice in the space of two minutes just before half-time at the County Ground and the Robins added another in the second half, on a miserable afternoon for the U's.

It was a disappointing performance all round by Colchester, in front of nearly 250 of their travelling fans.

Colchester head coach John McGreal made two changes to his side for the game against Swindon.

Mikael Mandron and Brennan Dickenson both returned to the U’s starting line-up, at the County Ground.

They came in for leading scorer Sammie Szmodics who missed out through illness, while Abo Eisa dropped to the bench.

Midfield trio Harry Pell, Tom Lapslie and Brandon Comley all missed out through injury again.

Swindon tried their luck from long range early on when Kyle Knoyle’s ambitious 35-yard effort went straight at keeper Rene Gilmartin.

But Colchester had a more clearcut opportunity in the sixth minute when Dickenson's low left-foot effort flashed inches wide of the far post, after Mandron had found him in space in the Swindon area.

Swindon went close soon after through James Dunne, who headed over under pressure from ten yards after Kaiyne Woolery had done brilliantly to turn Kane Vincent-Young and deliver a cross.

However, the game ebbed and flowed and the U’s came equally as close to taking the lead two minutes later when Mandron’s header was brilliantly turned away by keeper Lawrence Vigouroux from close range, following Dickenson’s corner.

Mandron’s glanced header sails wide from Ryan Jackson’s long throw into the box for Colchester.

But the game entered a scrappy phase after that, with neither side able to create clearcut opportunities.

It looked as though Colchester would be heading in at the break with the score goal-less.

However, they fell behind five minutes before half-time when Dunne and Woolery combined well to pick out Canice Carroll in space to finish well from close range, after Gilmartin’s poor goal-kick had initially gone straight to Robinson.

And things got even worse for the U’s less than two minutes later when Luke Woolfenden headed home first time at the far post, after Dunne had picked his run out with a precise cross.

It left Colchester with a mountain to climb in the second half and boss McGreal made a double change a few minutes after the break, sending on Tom Eastman and Luke Norris for Dickenson and Diaz Wright and switching to three at the back in a bid to get back into the contest.

But Swindon almost went further ahead on the hour when Jak McCourt’s free-kick curled around the wall and pushed away at a decent height by Gilmartin.

And the U's did fall further behind midway through the second half when Mandron lost the ball in his own half and Kyle Bennett let fly with a shot from 25 yards that Gilmartin parried but ended up helping into the net.

Mandron headed straight at Vigoroux from Eastman's cross soon after and Norris dragged a low shot well wide but Colchester were fighting an uphill task to get back into the game.

But there was little sign of that in the closing stages, as the U's were well beaten.