COLCHESTER United’s brave resistance was finally broken at St Andrew’s after they conceded late to lose 1-0 at Birmingham City and go out of the Carabao Cup.

The U’s had more than held their own against their Championship hosts and looked for some time like they were going to take their first-round tie to penalties.

But Marcel Oakley lashed in a deflected winner for Blues to break the deadlock and edge them through to the next round, despite an impressive performance by Colchester.

And although Cameron Coxe came agonisingly close to equalising in the stoppage-time when his effort clattered the crossbar, the U's bowed out.

Colchester boss Hayden Mullins, returning to the club where he spent two years of his playing career, made three changes to his starting line-up.

Sylvester Jasper was handed his first U’s start while Miles Welch-Hayes and Noah Chilvers also made the starting line-up, with Freddie Sears, Alan Judge and Luke Chambers dropping out.

The U’s adopted a 3-4-2-1 system, with Jasper and Chilvers playing just behind number nine Frank Nouble who led the line up front against a Birmingham team who made 11 changes to their side following their 1-0 opening-day win at Sheffield United.

Colchester did not look overawed by the occasion in the opening stages against their Championship hosts and almost took a seventh-minute lead when Jasper drove at the Birmingham defence and drilled a low shot a whisker wide of the far post.

The Fulham loanee caused the home side a few problems with his pace and trickery in the first half and at the other end, the U’s defended solidly and hardly gave their hosts a sniff before half-time.

Mullins will have been very pleased with his side’s impressive first-half performance and no doubt will have asked for more of the same, in the second period.

It was a similar story in the opening stages of the second half, although Chuks Aneke did have a shot blocked in the area soon after the break.

Jasper’s shot flew just wide of the far post for Colchester after more trickery from the lively Fulham loanee before midway through the second half the visitors sent on youngster Gene Kennedy for his professional debut, in place of Cole Skuse.

Sears was sent on for Nouble soon after for the U’s but the deadlock was finally broken in the 75th minute when the hosts made the breakthrough.

After Birmingham had found space just outside the Colchester area, Marcel Oakley was able to drive in a powerful shot which deflected into the net off the covering Tom Eastman.

It was hard luck on the U’s and they almost fell further behind when substitute Riley McGree’s low shot forced goalkeeper Shamal George to get down low and push the ball away for a corner, which was subsequently headed wide by home skipper George Friend.

Coilchester came agonisingly close to an equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time when Coxe's effort clattered the bar, after he had been picked out by substitute Alan Judge in the area.

But Colchester were unable to find a way back into the tie and despite a competent display, bowed out of the Carabao Cup at the first-round stage to Championship opposition for the second successive year.

MATCH STATS:

COLCHESTER UNITED: George, Welch-Hayes, Eastman, Smith, Clampin, Coxe, Wiredu, Skuse (sub Kennedy, 67), Chilvers, Jasper (sub Judge, 82), Nouble (sub Sears, 72).

Subs (not used): Beadle, Tchamadeu, Tovide, Turner.

U’s man of the match: Sylvester Jasper.

Birmingham City: Trueman, Oakley, Friend, Gordon (sub Campbell, 73), Castillo, Sunjic, Lakin, Graham, Sanchez, Aneke (sub McGree, 75), Leko.

Subs (not used): Mitchell Roberts, Walker, Chang, Bellingham, Sarkic.

Referee: Declan Bourne.

Bookings: Colchester: Kennedy (foul, 76), Wiredu (foul, 90).

Goals: Birmingham: Oakley (75).