DISGRUNTLED Colchester fan booed their team off and chanting ‘Ward Out’ after bottom club Chesterfield picked up a crucial 2-1 win.

A poor U’s showing helped the visitors to their first league win in more than four months as Colchester failed to match their opponents’ effort nor find a creative spark to break down League One’s bottom club.

Save for a bright 10-minute spell before the break, after Steven Gillespie had levelled Jack Lester’s sixth minute opener, John Ward’s men never clicked into life.

Josh Thompson grabbed a sucker-punch header just before the interval to restore Chestefield’s lead and in truth the U’s never really recovered – even though Ian Henderson will be wondering how he didn’t level things up at the death.

Chesterfield, led by evergreen striker Jack Lester, had threatened most in the first half – even though Karl Dugiud almost got in with just 19 seconds on the clock.

But the visitors took the lead after just six minutes and it was a poor goal as far as Colchester were concerned, the unmarked Lester heading home James Hurst’ cross as the home defenders stood statuesque.

Colchester had brief moments, Anthony Wordsworth shooting wide after good work from Gillespie, but it was a little out of the blue that the home side equalised.

Karl Duguid did well to nick the ball past Thompson and Gillespie strode forward before neatly finding the bottom corner.

The goal visibly lifted the hosts and Anthony Bond curled a shot just wide before Wordsworth was denied a certain goal by a great block from left-back Gregor Robertson.

But with the clock ticking down, the rangy Thompson got above Tom Eastman and headed into the bottom corner to give Chesterfield the half-time lead.

A poor second half ensured with the basement club happy to sit back and protect their lead and the U’s having little in response.

Young striker Gavin Massey, signed on loan from Watford, was quickly introduced for his debut and showed promise for the future.

Chances were at a premium and Gillespie fired narrowly over on 75 minutes following Henderson’s head back across goal.

But seconds later, Chesterfield should have wrapped the points up when Scott Boden found space in the penalty area but curled his shot wide of the far post.

It should have been a costly miss when Henderson was released by Massey with a minute left but he shot horribly wide with the goal at his mercy.

TEAM NEWS

New Colchester loan signing Gavin Massey is on the bench for the U’s home match against bottom side Chesterfield.

Manager John Ward hasn’t given in to the temptation of throwing the young Watford striker in from the start, preferring to go with the same side that started last week’s 1-1 draw with Scunthorpe.

Kayode Odejayi remains sidelined but both Matt Heath and John-Joe O’Toole are among the substitutes.

TEAMS:

Colchester: Williams; White, Eastman, Okuonghae, Wilson; Bond, Wordsworth, James; Henderson, Gillespie, Duguid. Subs - Heath, O’Toole, Izzet, Massey, Coker.

Chesterfield: Lee, Hurst, Thompson, Trotman, Robertson, Ridehalgh, Davies, Allott, Talbot, Boden, Lester. Subs – Fleming, Whitaker, Hazell, Smith, Bowery.