COLCHESTER United's season hit a new low this afternoon after they were thrashed 5-0 at bottom club Forest Green Rovers.

The U's crashed to a demoralising defeat at The New Lawn, after being put to the sword by a side that had lost six successive league games, prior to this encounter.

Colchester played for nearly half the game with only ten men, after Jay Mingi picked up a second yellow card and was sent off, early in the second half.

But that could not mask the U's abject overall performance, as they tumbled to a third successive league defeat.

Colchester boss Ben Garner had made two changes to his starting line-up for their game at Forest Green.

Tom Smith was handed his first start of the season in goal while Tom Hopper returned in attack, with Owen Goodman away on international duty and Samson Tovide dropping to the bench.

It was Hopper’s first league start for Colchester for two months.

Colchester went into the game looking to bounce back from their home defeat against Morecambe and they almost took a 12th-minute lead when Joe Taylor's low drive from the edge of the area struck a post, after Jayden Fevrier had done well to set up the chance.

But Forest Green had an equally good chance two minutes later when Jacob Maddox blazed over, after the hosts had closed down Smith as he attempted to make a clearance.

It was a first half of few chances but the U’s did have a great opportunity to go ahead in the 34th minute when they were awarded a free-kick in a very dangerous position on the edge of the six-yard box, after Dom Bernard had passed back to his keeper James Belshaw.

However, McGeehan’s effort was blocked and the chance went begging.

It looked like the sides would go in at the break level but Colchester fell behind in the 41st minute.

Former Braintree Town loanee Callum Morton followed up to score in the six-yard box, after Smith had failed to hold onto Tyrese Omotoye’s strike.

It was a big blow to the U’s and they almost fell further behind in first-half stoppage-time when Smith got down well to parry at the feet of Morton who had been sent through on goal by Omotoye's through pass.

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Colchester went in at the break behind and made a double change at the break, with Dallison and Tovide introduced for Kazeem and Taylor.

They made a bright start in the second half and almost scored inside the opening minute of the restart, after Fankaty Dabo nodded off the line at the far post following Hopper's header, from Chilvers' corner.

But Colchester were reduced to ten men when Jay Mingi received a second yellow card and was given his marching orders after bringing down Omotoye near the halfway line, after a swift counter-attack by the hosts.

It left the U's with a mountain to climb and Forest Green almost doubled their lead on the hour when Omotoye's strike was blocked by Smith for a corner at his near post, after Morton and Deeney had combined well to set him up in the area.

However, Forest Green did make it 2-0, in the 65th minute.

McAllister finished emphatically past Smith, after Deeney had done brilliantly to present the chance. 

Smith palmed over Omotoye's effort for a corner soon after, as the hosts threatened to further add to their lead.

It was 3-0 in the 77th minute; substitute Matty Taylor's strike flew past Smith at his near post after the hosts had sprung the offside trap as things went from bad to worse for Colchester against the bottom club.

And two minutes later, to the horror of Colchester's watching fans, Forest Green scored again.

Matty Stevens had time in the area to control and fire past Smith, after being picked out unmarked by fellow substitute Sean Robertson's pass.

And in stoppage-time, Stevens got in behind the Colchester defence and fired past Smith to seal the hosts' win and complete a truly miserable afternoon for Ben Garner's side.

MATCH FACTS: COLCHESTER UNITED: Smith, Egbo, Mitchell, Hall, Kazeem (sub Dallison, 46), Fevrier, Mingi, McGeehan, Chilvers (sub Bandeira, 74), Hopper (sub Ihionvien, 74), Taylor (sub Tovide, 46).

Substitutes (not used): Greenidge, Cooper, Hornby.

Forest Green Rovers: Belshaw, Lavinier, Bernard, Maddox (sub Jenks, 67), Welch, Omotoye, Dabo (sub Robson, 68), Bunker, McAllister (sub Stevens, 74), Morton (sub Taylor, 75), Deeney (sub Robertson, 74).

Substitutes (not used): Bendle, Searle.

Goals: Forest Green: Morton (41), McAllister (65), Taylor (77), Stevens (79, 90).

Bookings: Colchester: Mingi (foul, 10; foul, 48), McGeehan (foul, 45). Forest Green: McAllister (foul, 44).

Red card: Mingi (two bookable offences, 48).

Referee: Ollie Yates.

Attendance: 2,137 (278 Colchester fans).