An early double from Jamie Cureton and a second-half header from Richard Garcia sentenced Tony Pulis' men to a first defeat in seven outings.

The Potters were left to rue several missed chances in the first-half and struggled to make any kind of impression once Garcia's goal ended hope of a fight-back.

Defender Andy Griffin's return to Portsmouth meant a start for Clint Hill at left-back and Dave Brammer replaced Salif Diao in the middle of the park after the on loan Liverpool star failed to shrug off a muscle injury.

Colchester began with the in form strike force of Cureton and former Potter Chris Iwelumo looking to pierce a defence which hadn't conceded a goal since October 31.

It took them just 75 seconds, with Cureton sending a speculative effort which deflected off Hill before looping over Steve Simonsen from 18-yards.

Ricardo Fuller's mazy run and shot wide offered an instant response and the Jamaican striker was incensed moments later when Mamady Sidibe tucked the ball into the net after Fuller, who was adjudged to be in an offside position, saw an initial shot blocked by U's keeper Dean Gerken.

But the visitors' second attack yielded another goal. Cureton was again the scorer, this time from just seven yards, as he sprung the offside trap and poked Kem Izzet's clever flick into the bottom corner.

Fuller spurned an excellent opportunity to immediately reduce the arrears when he curled over when well positioned after some tireless work from Darel Russell on the edge of the box.

Though City's best chance of the half fell to Lee Hendrie five minutes before the interval. Fuller jinked his way past two players and laid the ball into the path of the on loan Aston Villa man, who drilled narrowly over from close-range with the goal at his mercy.

Greg Halford saw a free-kick nestle into the side-netting just after the break while Karl Duguid forced Simonsen into a fine one-handed save as Colchester set their stalls out to put the result beyond doubt.

And that moment arrived in the 64^th minute when Garcia met Duguid's left-wing cross with a firm header at the back-post.

City hardly troubled Gerken as the contest wore on, but when the young 'keeper was finally called upon with ten minutes left to play he pulled off arguably the game's best save, flying to his left to pluck Patrik Berger's goal-bound free-kick out of the top corner.

Colchester: Gerken, Halford, Brown, Baldwin, Barker; Duguid, Watson (Jackson 85), Izzet, Garcia (Ephraim 77); Cureton, Iwelumo (Guy 88). Subs: Davison (GK), Richards.