COLCHESTER United manager John Ward refused to be downbeat after his side’s winning home run was brought to an end by Brentford tonight.

A well-organised Bees side defended Gary Alexander’s 27th minute opener superbly and, after the U’s were given a free-kick for a foul apparently a yard inside the box late on, Brentford wrapped up victory in the 89th minute when Cahrlie MacDonald finished off a quick counter-attack.

“We got stuck in the blocks a little bit,” said the U’s boss, whose side have dropped back to sixth in what is still an incredibly tight League One table.

“We huffed and puffed and never got going. Tonight we just didn’t have the firepower at the top end of the side that we’ve had in recent weeks.

“We’ve disappointed everyone and fed the critics a little bit, but we’ve played pretty well at home recently and it was always going to be difficult to continue that.

“They got their little bit of luck for their opener when the ball fell nicely for them and that was the sort of thing that has been going our way in recent games.”

Reacting to the award of a free-kick for a foul on Ashley Vincent which seemed inside the area late on, Ward added: “That’s the game isn’t it? I said on Saturday that I would remember that one (the penalty given to Colchester against Hartlepool which was clearly outside the box) when one went against us, so I have to accept it.

“We’re fine. I’ve not been screaming how wonderful we are when we’ve been winning and I’m certainly not throwing the rope off the rafters now.

“We are human beings and human beings aren’t perfect. No-one in this stadium tonight is perfect.

““It didn’t go our way tonight and we have to just accept that, eat humble pie and move on.

“We’re not quite on the canvas yet, we’re staggering a little bit, but we’ll recover because the boys at this club are honest as the day is long.”

Colchester now host non-league side Swindon Supermarine on Saturday.