Colchester United 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2COLCHESTER United's faint hopes of avoiding relegation have effectively been snuffed out, following a fifth defeat on the trot at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday tonight.

Carl Marston

Colchester United 1 Sheffield Wednesday 2

COLCHESTER United's faint hopes of avoiding relegation have effectively been snuffed out, following a fifth defeat on the trot at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday tonight.

Geraint Williams' men appear doomed to begin their new era at the Community Stadium in League One. Time has just about run out.

Wednesday began the night in the bottom three, seven points clear of the basement U's. But they ended it a healthy 10 points ahead of the Essex club, and with a great chance of cheating the drop.

By contrast, the U's once again disappointed in front of their own fans, despite taking a fourth minute lead through Kevin Lisbie's 14th goal of the season.

It was the third time in eight days that Lisbie had scored, and on each occasion he ended on the losing side - the other defeats were at Plymouth and Crystal Palace.

Furthermore, it was the 13th time this season that United had failed to win after taking the lead in a game.

The Owls were level in the 18th minute. Deon Burton arrived just before keeper Dean Gerken to head home a free-kick by Graham Kavanagh, so ensuring that the U's have now gone 35 games without a clean-sheet.

Burton then set up Wade Small for what proved to be the winner on 44 minutes. Both men charged through on goal, and it was Small who powered his shot past Gerken, the ball taking a deflection off the U's keeper before looping into an empty net.

The U's brittle confidence had taken another knock, and they never really looked like staging a comeback in the second-half, despite bossing possession and creating several half-chances.

There are now just nine games left, and the U's will probably have to win at least six or seven of them to stay in the Championship. The task looks beyond them.