The U's lost 4-3 at West Brom yesterday with The Baggies winner coming in the 94th minute from Robert Bednar. Chris Coyne, Medy Elito and Kevin Lisbie grabbing the U's goals.

Colchester United contrived to lose a seven goal thriller at the Hawthorn's yesterday afternoon despite being twice being in the front. Chris Coyne and Medy Elito's debut goals put the U's ahead before Phillips and Brunt restored parity. Kevin Lisbie's second half goal restored United's advantage right up to the 90th minute when goals from James Morrison and Robert Bednar gave the Baggies a deserved three points. The U's though, played their part in a wonderful afternoon's entertainment in the pouring Midlands rain.

Geraint Williams made three changes from the side that had lost at Norwich City last weekend. After conceding five goals, out went central defensive duo Bela Balogh and Adam Virgo to be replaced by Chris Coyne and Pat Baldwin who returned to the side for the first time since January. Kem Izzet was the other player to be dropped as Karl Duguid returned to the right wing with youngster Medy Elito on the left.

Former Ipswich Town player Tony Mowbray was able to leave million pound signings Ishmael Miller and James Morrison on his substituted bench (as well as Pele) but in Robert Bednar and Kevin Phillips in attack, the U's defence would be hard pushed to contain a rampant Baggies side who are the leading goal scorers in the Division.

It was the youngster Elito who caused the first real problem for the U's after Lisbie's header at the far end of the pitch had gone well wide. The England U18 International conceded a free-kick on the edge of the area near the touchline after he neglected his defensive duties and allowed Hoefkens to get past him.

From Greening's kick, the U's defended well enough but immediately it was clear that Baldwin had a problem with his shoulder which looked like a dislocation. It happened as he jostled with a Baggies attacker - it looked accidentally - and he gamely carried on until the ball went out of play. However, physio Tony Flynn immediately signalled to the bench that Baldwin’s afternoon was over. Typical bad luck for the U's and the player who hadn't played since the U's defeat to Peterborough United. Adam Virgo came on to replace him just five minutes in to the game.

Just before the quarter of an hour mark, the U's shocked the home crowd by taking the lead through Chris Coyne's first goal for the club. A corner was swung in by Hammond and after the Baggies defence failed to clear, Coyne's acrobatic overhead kick put the ball in to the net with Kiely out of position.

If the U's fans thought that was good, there was even better to come as just three minutes later, the lead was doubled through another first goal for the club - this time from youngster Medy Elito. Again, veteran goalkeeper Dean Kiely was culpable as he came for a cross which he didn't get too. The ball went to the edge of the box where Elito calmly took a touch, and fired a right-foot half-volley in to the roof of the net.

Could the U's defend a two goal lead against what is, for my money at least, the best side in The Championship - well, going forward that is. Greening hit a shot from outside the box and swerved so that Gerken could only push it away and Virgo cleared the danger. Another shot from a Baggies man - quite why they are allowed to play with red numbers on a blue and white shirt making them almost unrecognisable - again from distance crashed off the right-hand post, and then bounced out of play off the back of the diving Dean Gerken.

After 36 minutes Albion pulled a goal back and it was no surprise that it was former England International Kevin Phillips with the goal - though Geraint Williams will be disappointed at how easy it was for him. It came from a cross on the right-hand side (by Gera I think who caused the U's problems all afternoon) which was driven low across the box through the legs of players to the far post where an unmarked Phillips had an easy task just to pass the ball in to the net from the edge of the six yard box.

West Brom tales were up. Gerken produced heroics to prevent Bednar's header from close range from going in with Virgo again there to bravely head away.

However, with six minutes to the break the U's found themselves back on level terms. John white needlessly gave the ball away to Chris Brunt who still had work to do just to get in a shot. He cut back inside to create and angle for himself and fired a wonderful shot in to the far corner of Gerken's net with the U's keeper unable to do anything about it.

With time running out in the first half, Gerken was still called upon to make too decent saves - the later from Robert Koren's shot - but after three minutes injury time the U's could go and get their half time refreshments.

It was fairly obvious that The Baggies would come storming out in the second half so Williams made his second change of the game. Elito - who was providing little defensive cover down the left where Albion where concentrating their attacking options - was replaced by Kem Izzet. The diminutive midfielder took Jackson's place in central midfield with the former Spurs man going to the left hand side to help out John White. Mowbray almost made a change with Neil Clement - who played for Hull at Layer Road recently whilst on loan there - coming on for Bostjan Cesar.

Sure enough, the U's were under pressure for the first half hour of the second period. Indeed, quite how the Baggies didn't score during that time is only down to some great goalkeeper and resolute defending. Dean Hammond cleared Martin Albrechtsen's header off the line while from another corner, Clement also headed wide.

Then came the move of the match from the hosts - though U's manager Geraint Williams spotted something amiss during the build-up. Full back Paul Robinson launched a lovely crossfield ball to Gera on the left. The Hungarian took on John White and crossed to the unmarked Bednar who somehow poked the ball over the cross bar from close-range. Williams was livid though as he had spotted Bednar fouling Chris Coyne on the half-way line with an alleged elbow to the neck. The U's manager - one of nicest men in football and one who rarely gets annoyed - was subsequently sent to the stands for his complaints to the fourth official.

Bednar should have scored another minutes later. Again, it was Gera's cross to the far post and the on-loan Hearts man headed back across goal but watched in horror as Gerken contorted his body to somehow get a glove on the ball.

With just over an hour gone, Williams made his third and final change of the afternoon as Clive Platt was replaced by Scott Vernon up front. Gera fired over as the U's failed to get close enough to the man on more than one occasion - almost giving them too much respect. The time they were given on the ball allowed them to pick a pass when I think that they could have been hurried into more mistakes.

Mowbray made his second and third personnel changes with twenty minutes left bringing on over three million pounds worth of talent in Ishmael Miller and former Middlesbrough man James Morrison. They replaced fullback Carl Hoefkens and Robert Koren. Gerken had to dive to his near post to punch away a shot from distance by Albrechtsen again I think.

From the U's first real attack of the second half, with fourteen minutes of the game remaining, the U's somehow found themselves back in front thanks to Kevin Lisbie 15th of the season. Vernon won a corner which Hammond swung to the far post. Jackson headed goalwards, Kiely fumbled and Kevin Lisbie was first to the loose ball to fire the U's ahead. Amidst the fans celebrations there was laughter - quite how the U's were 3-2 up with fourteen minutes to go was a mystery considering how dominate the home side had been.

The U's might have doubled the lead as well. First, Jackson's run in to the box might have ended in a spot kick had he not be honest enough to try and stay up when challenged while Vernon's run down the left-hand side was ended by a curling shot from the edge of the box that just went the wrong side of the far post.

However, U's hearts were to be broken in injury time as The Baggies found not one, but two goals. First, James Morrison was given time and space to fire home from twenty yards. Gerken will surely have been disappointed to have been beaten at his near post from such a distance. Then, in the 4th minutes of injury time, Bednar got just ahead of Kem Izzet to divert a cross from the left into Gerken's far corner of the net. It was tough luck on the U's who had played their part in an entertaining game at The Hawthorns. However, it should give them a lift that they were able to run the best side in the Division so close with Saturday's A12 Derby so important to the U's fans.

Shot of the Match: Greening's first half shot dipped and swerved so much that all Gerken could do was parry the ball away.
Save of the Match: Gerken was in great form but his best save came from Bednar's second half header after Gera's cross. The U's keeper was going the wrong way and did really well to get a hand on the ball to keep it out.
Moment of the Match: What might have happened had Bednar's indiscretion’s on Chris Coyne been spotted by the match officials.
Man of the Match: I though there were three key players for the U's today. Chris Coyne was a welcome addition back to the starting line-up whilst Dean Gerken will consider himself unlucky not to be winning my vote with a string of splendid saves. However, my MOTM goes to Adam Virgo who I thought was a colossus at the back for United. He was as brave as a line, made some telling interceptions and gave everything in the U's cause - he, more than most, can count himself unfortunate to be on the losing side today.

West Brom: Kiely, Hoefkens (Miller 70), Cesar (Clement 46), Albrechtsen, Robinson, Gera, Greening, Koren (Morrison 72), Brunt, Bednar, Phillips.
Subs Not Used: Kim, Pele.

Booked: Bednar.

Goals: Phillips 36, Brunt 39, Bednar 90, Morrison 90.

Colchester: Gerken, Ifil, Baldwin (Virgo 5), Coyne, White, Duguid, Hammond, Jackson, Elito (Izzet 46), Lisbie, Platt (Vernon 62).
Subs Not Used: Cousins, Balogh.

Booked: Coyne, Lisbie.

Goals: Coyne 14, Elito 17, Lisbie 76.

Att: 20,433

Ref: Graham Laws (Tyne & Wear).

Photo: Action Images

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