Colchester United's unbeaten run ended at Forest Green Rovers

Luke Prosser's own goal on the half hour proved enough to give the hosts victory at a sun-kissed New Lawn and inflict defeat a first defeat at the venue for the U's.

Colchester finished the game strongly and pushed hard for an equaliser but it did not come and the visitors fell to a narrow defeat, in front of their 253 travelling fans.

John McGreal made one change to his starting line-up.

Luke Gambin returned from international duty with Malta to reclaim his place in the side at the expense of Paris Cowan-Hall, who dropped to the bench.

Brandon Comley, who had also been away on international duty with Montserrat, did not make the 18.

Forest Green made the early running in the September sunshine and defender Tom Eastman had to make a fine last-ditch saving tackle in the penalty area to deny Matt Stevens a shot on goal from eight yards, in the eighth minute.

And eight minutes later, U’s goalkeeper Dean Gerken pushed Stevens’ effort away before Jack Aitchison’s shot was deflected wide for a corner.

Colchester eventually fell behind on the half hour mark when skipper Prosser diverted James Morton’s ball into the box into his own net with Kyle Taylor lurking behind him.

It was the first goal Colchester have conceded in more than five hours of league football.

And they almost went 2-0 down barely a minutes later when Gerken brilliantly denied Stevens from point-blank range, after Udoka Godwin-Malife had dispossessed Ryan Clampin down deep inside his own half and picked out his team-mate.

Gerken received a let off eight minutes before the break when Stevens caught the U’s keeper dallying in his own area and saw his attempted lob fly just over the bar from the edge of the area.

Colchester hardly threatened the Forest Green goal until the latter stages of the first half.

Frank Nouble’s ambitious effort from the edge of the area flashed just over the bar, six minutes before the break.

And four minutes later, Gambin was denied by keeper Lewis Thomas near the goal-line after a skilful exchange of passes with Nouble.

But Colchester went in at the break behind and it was Forest Green who started the second half the brighter.

The hosts looked like doubling their lead in the minutes that followed half-time.

However, the U’s came desperately close to equalising on the hour mark when Courtney Senior exchanged passes with Luke Norris and dragged a low shot just past the post.

Ferrend Rawson headed wide from a corner soon after for the hosts before Colchester made their first change of the match just before the midway point of the contest, with Brendan Wiredu on for Ryan Clampin and Tom Lapslie switching to left-back as a result.

Nouble came close to equalising with 20 minutes remaining when his low effort came back off the outside of the post, after good work by Wiredu.

And Wiredu was in the thick of the action again soon after when he had the ball in the hosts' net, only for it to be disallowed for a foul on Liam Kitching.

Colchester kept battling for an equaliser and they had a golden chance for an equaliser when Thomas under-hit his attempted clearance straight to Senior.

But after the U's winger picked out substitute Theo Robinson, the loanee saw his deflected effort fly away for a corner.

Colchester finished the game strongly but they could not find an equaliser, as they fell to a narrow defeat.