Colchester United beaten at home by Hartlepool United

Two goals in the space of four second-half minutes from Omar Bogle and substitute Isaac Fletcher gave Pools victory at the JobServe Community Stadium, after birthday boy Noah Chilvers had given the U's a first-half lead.

Colchester will be bitterly disappointed they did not hold onto their advantage, in an entertaining contest that ebbed and flowed.

They seemed to lose their way after John Akinde went off on the hour to fall to a second straight defeat, keeping them deep in relegation trouble, in League Two.

Colchester interim boss Wayne Brown made four changes to his starting line-up.

Chilvers, Cameron Coxe, Brendan Wiredu and John Akinde all returned in place of Junior Tchamadeu, Emyr Huws and Alan Judge who were among the substitutes and Tom Eastman, who was left out of the 18.

Pools threatened early on and Myles Kenlock’s smart last-ditch challenge in the area averted the danger, after Joe White had picked out Luke Molyneux.

But Colchester went close in the 14th minute through leading goalscorer Freddie Sears, who collected possession midway inside the Hartlepool half before unleashing a fierce shot that flew just wide of the far post.

White wastefully scooped a shot over from inside the area for Pools after Brendan Wiredu had done well to head away David Ferguson's free-kick into the box.

But Colchester went ahead in the 22nd minute through Chilvers, who celebrated his 21st birthday by stabbing home his third goal of the season from close range after Akinde's shot had been parried by former Braintree keeper Ben Killip, following good build-up play by Coxe and Owura Edwards down the right.

It was the boost the U’s were looking for and they almost doubled their advantage in the 33rd minute when Coxe's shot comes back off the post after Akinde had intelligently played the ball into the right-back’s path and he had raced towards goal.

Hartlepool felt they should have been awarded a penalty ten minutes before the break when White tumbled under Luke Chambers' challenge in the area but referee Declan Bourne waves away their claims.

Colchester keeper Sam Hornby palmed away Luke Molyneux's low effort at full stretch soon after but the hosts went in ahead at the break.

And the U's almost doubled their lead in the opening minute of the second half when Sears' effort comes off the post, after Killip had failed to deal with Coxe's cross into the six-yard box.

But Colchester received a let off soon after when Bogle's deflected long-range strike rattled the crossbar.

The contest continued to ebb and flow, with both sides carving out clearcut chances.

Killip made a good stop to deny Coxe while at the other end, Hornby makes a brilliant reflex save to push over Tom Crawford's far-post effort as the game became stretched.

But Hartlepool equalised with 20 minutes remaining through Bogle, who struck a fine shot past Hornby from the edge of the area after White had raced towards goal and set him up.

And the visitors completed their turnaround four minutes later when substitute Fletcher stabbed in from close range, after Bogle had run at the U's defence and they had failed to properly clear the danger.

Five minutes of stoppage time were added at the end but Colchester were beaten.

MATCH STATS: COLCHESTER UNITED: Hornby, Coxe, Chambers, Smith, Kenlock, Skuse, Wiredu (sub Judge, 81), Chilvers (sub Wright, 86), Edwards, Akinde (sub Andrews, 60), Sears.

Subs (not used): Dallison, Tchamadeu, Huws, George.

Hartlepool United: Killip, Ferguson, Odusina, Shelton (sub Fletcher, 65), Bogle, Featherstone, Byrne, Crawford, Francis-Angol (sub Smith, 77), White, Molyneux (sub Carver, 77).

Subs (not used): Liddle, Holohan, Hull, Bilokapic.

Referee: Declan Bourne.

Bookings: Colchester: Chilvers (unsporting behaviour, 50), Edwards (foul, 89). Hartlepool: Byrne (foul, 66), Fletcher (unsporting behaviour, 74).

Man of the match: Cameron Coxe.

Goals: Colchester: Chilvers (22). Hartlepool: Bogle (70), Fletcher (74).

Attendance: 2,115 (180 Hartlepool fans).