Colchester United under-18s are beaten by Coventry City

Elliott Ward's side started well and Jai Martin shot just wide of the near post, after cutting in from the left.

Milton Oni was denied by the Coventry keeper who made a fine low save down to his right and Frankie Edwards headed from the resultant corner.

Jamie Arnold was then sent clear but again, the keeper was down to make a good save.

Colchester's penalty appeals were waved away when Ewan Gordon Clement played in Elkanah Akor down the right and he went down inside the box.

Coventry then fired straight at keeper Jayden Peglar, after some neat build up play.

On 41 minutes after some concerted pressure, Sabah then miscued his shot wide for the U's but having been on top for so long, the hosts conceded right on half-time.

Although their first corner was cleared for another, this was played short and when crossed in, Coventry's central defender turned the ball home on the back post.

Colchester hit back two minutes after the break when Arnold converted at the near post, after Akor and Gordon Clement combined down the right.

But two minutes later, Coventry restored their lead when their number ten came in from the right and scored with a deflected shot.

Kai Martin's delivery flashed across the goalmouth with nobody unable to get onto it, as the U's pushed for an equaliser.

But the game looked up for Colchester just after the hour when their number two broke down the right, held off the attentions of Makhaya James and beat Peglar down to his left from inside the box.

Uwandu's shot was deflected wide for a corner but having been so much on top in the first half, the goals conceded seem to deflate Colchester who were unable to get back into the match.

Colchester U18: Jayden Peglar, Elkanah Akor, Frankie Edwards, Bailey Berry, Makhaya James, Max Jolliffe, Burak Sabah (sub trialist), Milton Oni, Jai Martin, Jamie Arnold (sub Andrew Palmer Brown), Ewan Gordon Clement (sub Samson Uwandu).