Colchester United boss John McGreal believes his players have to “be accountable on the pitch,” after the U’s bowed out of the FA Cup, beaten 2-1 by Chesterfield in the first round this afternoon.

Ched Evans netted the winner for the Spireites in the 51st minute, after Tarique Fosu had cancelled out Jay O’Shea’s 23rd minute opener inside 53 seconds of the second period.

“It could have gone either way, but in the end it’s another defeat for us,” said McGreal.

“The players have got to be accountable on the pitch, like giving Ched Evans so much space for the winning goal.

“Ched Evans was never going to miss, giving him such a chance.

“It was a scrappy game, and we huffed and puffed a lot, as well as hitting the bar with Luke Prosser’s header, shortly after getting the equaliser.

“It’s been like that all season,” added McGreal.

Chesterfield boss, Danny Wilson, said: “That win has been a long time in coming.

“It was not a classic, by any stretch of the imagination. It was a typical FA Cup tie, and whether we deserved to win or not, it doesn’t really matter.

“We were under pressure, but then Colchester were under pressure as well, needing a win.

“When the draw was made, some people thought that Colchester would go through, so there was a lot of pressure on us,” added Wilson.

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