DANNY Cowley admits his Colchester United side are in a 'tough moment' after they lost 2-1 at home to Salford City this afternoon.

The U's are 21st in League Two and winless in their last six games, following a second successive home defeat at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Kylian Kouassi's 76th-minute strike proved to be Salford's winner, after U's substitute Harry Anderson had cancelled out Kelly N'Mai's opener for the Ammies.

READ MORE: Match report as Colchester are beaten at home by Salford

Cowley, who watched the game from high in the West Stand due to a touchline ban, admits it was a frustrating defeat for his side.

U's boss Cowley said: “We’re in a tough moment.

“It was a very tight, competitive game with very little in it and we gave very few chances away but the two goals we conceded are really soft.

“The first goal comes when we’re overloaded at the back post and Rob Hunt has obviously picked up an ankle injury in the lead up to the goal.

“We did well to get back in it and Harry gets his first goal of the season.

“We then have the momentum and the energy and then the second goal is such a poor goal.

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

“Everyone will be saying it’s a deflected goal but it’s the moments leading up to it is what we look at.

“It goes up to Ben Goodliffe and he’s just got to come underneath it and let it go through to Matt Macey.

"But nobody talks or communicates and as a consequence, the ball goes up in the air, worked down our right-hand side, gets cut back and we just don’t get up to the ball quick enough and the shot is deflected in off Manny (Egbo).

"Team-mates have to communicate with each other; that's what good team-mates do and we have to show more character and more personality, in those moments.

"Of course, when things are going well, it's easy to lead but it's not so easy to lead when things are not going so well.

READ MORE: Colchester United 1 Salford City 2 - as it happened

"I think when you have the amount of injuries that we have in the attacking areas, it's always going to be tough for us to find fluidity and find goals, in this moment.

"But if you have that, you have to keep the back door shut and what's so frustrating is that we've had very few chances, on our goal and yet we've still conceded two."

Cowley said there were positives to take from the game, despite the disappointing result.

"I thought young Oscar (Thorn) did well, with his first home league start," added Cowley.

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

"I thought he was direct, athletic, found space but of course he played on Tuesday (at Chesterfield) and started again today and sometimes, it's not just the physical toll but also the emotional toll that can take out of the player.

"He just looked a bit tired coming out, in the second half.

"We did well to get back into it and Harry got his first goal of the season, which will be good for him.

"I thought both (Harry Anderson and Mandela Egbo) came on and did well.

"But to lose the game 2-1 is really disappointing for us and we have to go away and reflect and all look at ourselves and see how we can help and contribute to helping the team."