COLCHESTER 1 CITY 0

IT WAS the crime scene for the bloodiest afternoon of Mark Hughes’ reign at the City helm.

Four months on from that painful Easter Monday in Essex, this will have hurt just as much – possibly even more so.

“Britain’s number one city” trumpets the signpost when you drive into Colchester – it certainly won’t be top of the City manager’s list.

Another dose of last-gasp agony, the same as at Barrow 10 days earlier, did not improve his mood.

He was trying hard enough to bite his tongue about Carl Brook’s officiating – then City coughed up a needless late free-kick and paid the ultimate price.

Hughes had spoken about healing the scars from the last visit – for himself as much as the team, although the cast list was very different from the side that had flopped before.

That miserable afternoon had convinced him who was not up for the job this season, if he didn’t know already.

The summer business has been about creating more depth to the squad so that Hughes can make changes without weakening the starting line-up.

There were two from Saturday in attack as Vadaine Oliver and Jake Young got the nod over Andy Cook and Lee Angol. Kian Harratt was also back on the bench after his enforced three-game absence.

It was a big night for Oliver after watching Cook take centre stage in recent games. But he failed to make his mark with just one effort off target.

The truth is City looked their most dangerous only once the strike-force had reverted to Cook, Harratt and Angol in the second half.

Scott Banks bent a cross-shot past the far post but it had been a slow start from City and Hughes kicked away a water bottle in frustration when a loose pass flew into touch.

The manager’s body language in the technical area suggested he wanted better quality.

Alex Gilliead looked tidy in possession and fed Banks for another chance cutting inside from the right but the winger’s shot was straight at Sam Hornby. It was a promising opportunity and he should have tested the former City keeper.

But Banks then showed a great engine to track back and nick the ball off Frank Nouble as the striker made a dangerous dart into the box.

Colchester forced a flurry of corners as they looked to build momentum – and City got a big warning on 26 minutes when Frank Nouble nodded Luke Hannant’s cross against the bar. Harry Lewis appeared to have got the thinnest of touches to divert it onto the woodwork but it was a close escape.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: City sub Lee Angol thought he should have had a penalty late onCity sub Lee Angol thought he should have had a penalty late on

Banks was finding plenty of room to make inroads and carried the biggest threat for City. But the end-to-end nature of the contest would not have impressed Hughes.

Harry Chapman went down in some pain as half-time approached and the delay allowed for a drinks’ break – and the chance for Hughes and Glyn Hodges to get into their players.

Banks remained the most likely route to success and Chapman recovered to feed him again in the box – only for Tom Eastman, playing his 400th Colchester game, to slide across and block.

But there was not enough quality about City; it was too frantic and frenetic and their manager was eager to get the team back in the dressing room for some choice words.

Hughes made a change for the restart with Angol on for Young, who had been guilty of choosing the wrong option at times.

Angol was soon into the thick of it as City tried to up the tempo. But they were still making hard work of finding an opening.

And it needed a brilliant reflex save from Lewis to deny Colchester again on 56 minutes. Noah Chilvers got away on the left and from the cutback Newby scuffed his shot into the ground, allowing the City keeper to claw it away from the top corner.

City went straight up the other end where Oliver looped a header wide from Banks’ cross.

The game was there for the winning for both sides and there was a growing excitement among the away fans when Banks started to pop up more and more on the ball. But still there was no real concern for Hornby.

Angol was booked for retaliation after being fouled by Marley Marshall-Miranda before Hughes threw on Cook and Harratt with 15 minutes left.

And Harratt threatened to make an instant impact on the counter-attack, forcing Hornby into his first proper save to turn the shot away.

The Huddersfield youngster had injected an energy and verve that had been lacking in City’s forward play.

City thought they should have had a penalty in the closing minutes when Angol got in behind and appeared to be nudged in the back. But ref Carl Brook waved play on – leaving Hughes raging on the touchline.

As the frustration continued, Hodges was booked in added time for complaining too loudly to the fourth official when the ref missed an obvious City corner. Cook, too, was carded for dissent over the same thing.

But worse followed for the visitors in the seven added minutes as Angol gave away a cheap free-kick – and Chilvers’ set-piece was converted in the far-post scrum by Eastman.

In a wild finale, there was still time for Cook to hit the post on the turn and Harratt’s follow-up was deflected over the bar.