Cambridge United 1 Colchester United 0

Uche Ikpeazu settled this East Anglian derby to inflict a third straight away defeat of the season on poor travellers Colchester United.

The Essex club, beaten at Accrington Stanley and Luton, were again second best at Cambridge United this afternoon.

Ikpeazu capped a spell of Cambridge pressure by breaking the deadlock on 64 minutes.

Ironically, former Colchester striker Jabo Ibehre, introduced as a substitute just four minutes earlier, was the man to tee up Ikpeazu.

The front-man latched onto Ibehre’s knock-down and unleashed a cracking left-footed shot, from just inside the penalty area, which flew low past Sam Walker.

It means that John McGreal’s men have still only won one away match in 2017, at Leyton Orient last April.

Colchester were unchanged from last weekend’s 5-1 home win over Forest Green Rovers, which was their first victory of the season.

Three of the five new players, recruited on transfer deadline day on Thursday, were included on the substitutes’ bench – Brandon Comley, Nicke Kabamba and Sanmi Odelusi.

It was a very bright start from the visitors. Keeper David Forde had to charge out of his penalty area to clear before Sammie Szmodics could pounce on Tom Lapslie’s measured through ball, and Forde then performed heroics to block Kyel Reid’s goal-bound shot at point blank range on three minutes.

Cambridge threatened first in the 17th minute, via a strong run by former Colchester attacker Medy Elito. Ache Azeez was teed up by his strike-force partner Uche Ikpeazu, but he sliced his shot horribly wide from a good position.

Sam Walker was not required to make a save until midway through the first half, when he safely smothered a low 25-yarder from Jevani Brown.

At the other end, Sean Murray had a snap shot which was deflected only a foot wide of the far post, while Frankie Kent’s towering header from the ensuing 26th minute corner looped harmlessly over the top.

In first-half stoppage time, Azeez came the closest to scoring with a flick header which had Walker scurrying his goal as the ball drifted just wide of the far upright.

The visitors made a change for the start of the second period. Lewis Kinsella had struggled at left-back, and so was replaced by Ryan Jackson, while Odelusi came on for his Colchester debut as a 53rd minute substitute for Reid.

On the hour mark, Walker dived to his left to keep out a stinging low drive from danger-man Ikpeazu, as Cambridge began to step up a gear.

But Walker had no chance as Ikpeazu beat him all ends up for a 64th minute opener.

It was so very nearly 2-0 to the hosts just six minutes later, Walker launching himself to his left to claw away a rising shot by Jevani Brown.

Colchester had struggled to get going in the second half, although Mikeael Mandron squandered a good chance when miscuing a shot wide from 15 yards out on 78 minutes.

New boy Odelusi missed a great chance in the last minute of stoppage time, heading wide from just eight yards out.

Squads

CAMBRIDGE: Forde, Halliday, Legge, Taylor, Dunk, Deegan, Brown, Maris (sub Carroll, 77), Elito (sub Mingoia, 60), Ikpeazu, Azeez (sub Ibehre, 60). Unused subs: Mitov, Taft, Osadebe, O’Neil.

COLCHESTER: Walker, Vincent-Young, Eastman, Kent, Kinsella (sub Jackson, 46), Lapslie, Murray, Wright (sub James, 70), Szmodics, Reid (sub Odelusi, 53), Mandron. Unused subs: Gilmartin, Comley, Kabamba, Issa.

Referee: Nick Kinseley (Essex)

Attendance: 4,511 (791 away fans)