Colchester United boss, John McGreal, admitted that “it wasn’t our day,” after this afternoon’s 2-0 defeat at Newport County.

A depleted U’s team were toppled by second-half goals from striker Jamille Matt, who bagged his 11th goal of the season, and substitute Cameron Pring, who netted his first-ever senior goal.

And to make matters worse, club captain Luke Prosser picked up a fifth yellow card of the season, shortly after County’s second goal, which will mean he misses next Saturday’s home match against fellow top-six side Exeter City.

“We never gave in, we kept trying to fight and to change the personnel around,” explained McGreal.

“But it wasn’t our day today.

“The first goal was always going to be very important in this game, and it was a poor one for us to give away. I thought we bossed it for 50 to 55 minutes and then they have got the goal and so we had to change one or two things.

“It was a poor first goal and a poor second goal, when in a tight game as such we have had a lot of possession, though perhaps without overly creating. But I don’t remember (keeper) Dillon (Barnes) doing anything and it’s one where you come off on the wrong side of a defeat, and you are thinking – ‘how did that happen?’

“It’s a tough one to take, with the amount of fans we brought.

“Newport’s fans were excellent, and I couldn’t hear myself speak at times with their fans, but I thought it was a great following from our fans as well. So it all drummed up for a very tight game, and it proved that way.

“We actually started the second half really well, after withstanding what they had and managing to play through it. But I thought we were a little bit wasteful, especially with our final pass in the attacking third in the first half,” added McGreal.

Prosser’s absence next weekend will be a big blow, especially as fellow experienced centre-half Tom Eastman is currently sidelined by a head injury – he suffered a fracture around his eye socket early on in the previous weekend’s FA Cup exit at Accrington Stanley.

“Luke’s (Prosser) five bookings means he is suspended, so a younger boy will have to come in and perform,” confirmed McGreal.

Young centre-half Ollie Kensdale was on the bench at Newport.