The U's slipped closer to the edge on Tuesday night as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against fellow relegation rivals Sheffield Wednesday.

The home team had burst into a 1-0 lead with just four minutes on the clock and looked set for a positive night's work as they created a host of early chances.

However, Wednesday battled back and although their second goal on the stroke of half time had a hint of offside about it, they were able to hold on to their advantage and take home a massive three points.

The victory was another hammer blow to the U's shrinking hopes of survival, particularly as once again other teams in the nether regions of the division collected results.

Scunthorpe also won to leave the U's staring at not only a ten point gap to safety, but also a six point gap to the next team above them in the league.

The U's named the same starting eleven that began the game against Crystal Palace three days ago, although there were changes on the substitutes bench.

If the U's injury crisis was not bad enough, they lost two players in a light training session on the Tuesday morning, as Kevin Watson pulled a calf muscle and Luke Guttridge was also ruled out with a neck injury.

The home team started off brightly, with much of their good play coming down the left with Jackson and Lisbie combining well on a couple of occasions.

And there were just four minutes on the clock when the home team took the lead.

A clever ball slid Duguid in on the right hand side and, although the U's skipper miscued his shot, he had good fortune as it fell into the path of Lisbie.

The striker went to ground to force his shot towards goal, but had to wait for the linesman's flag to adjudge the ball had gone over the line for his thirteenth goal of the season.

The next challenge for the U's was to see out the next period of the game and settle on their lead - something that they hadn't done in previous matches when hitting the back of the net.

They got in a second time five minutes after taking the lead as Jackson was put in by Izzet. Unfortunately for the left sider, he was on the right hand side of the box and had to check back before firing in a fierce shot that Grant did well to hold in the slippery conditions.

The visitors went close on 11 minutes as winger Songo'o escaped the offside trap and sent over a low cross that saw Burton's first time shot deflected onto the roof of the net.

But the early chances were all falling to Colchester and Jackson lay the ball back into the path of Duguid who in turn set up Lisbie and his sharp shot was deflected behind by Beevers, who probably didn't know too much about it as it went for a corner.

At the other end, Burton escaped down the byline to send over a low ball which Virgo did well to clear and the U's were soon on the attack again.

Enlivened by his goal, Lisbie was on fire and embarked on a forty yard run down the left flank before cutting the ball back to Duguid on the edge of the box. The skipper sized up a sidefooted effort and saw his shot curl wide of the far post.

The chances kept on coming at both ends and the visitors again went close through Kavanagh, but Hammond did well to get across and block the ball for a corner.

With the windy conditions causing problems, the U's intelligently put a free kick into the box on 18 minutes which drifted away from Grant. It came back out to Izzet, but the midfielder was again left disappointed as he pulled his shot wide.

And the visitors pulled level sixty seconds later as a free kick of their own was dropped into the penalty area and Burton was brave to head home past Gerken as the U's defenders were left looking over their shoulders.

Set pieces were proving dangerous for both teams and Wednesday nearly grabbed another not long after their equaliser. The ball was pinging around the area and Hinds could not react quick enough to redirect his header towards goal as it came quickly towards him.

The visitors were on top now and Songo'o was their main outlet going forwards. He escaped the attentions of White and fired in a low shot that went just wide of the post on 24 minutes.

The U's injury woes got even worse a minute later as Coyne was forced out of the game and it was down to Bela Balogh to replace him at the heart of defence.

Having had to ride a spell of Wednesday pressure, it was the home side who were next to go close. The ball was drifted over to the far post and nodded back to Hammond, who stepped onto the ball and volleyed his effort only just over the bar.

Small went close with a half volley, but it was Burton who was proving to be the main thorn in the U's side. He looked like might twist his way into a good position on 32 minutes but it took a great late tackle from White to deny the front man on the edge of the box.

Hammond was getting up alongside the two forwards on a regular basis and sent over a low cross to the near post on 35 minutes that Lisbie almost turned home. Grant blocked bravely and it took good defending to get the ball away from Platt as he rushed in.

The U's were getting back into the game and Lisbie pushed the ball through to Duguid on 38 minutes and the skipper was just about to pull the trigger on his shot when Kavanagh got back with a crucial last ditch challenge.

Gerken then had a nervous moment as a cross in from the left slipped out of his hands, but he regained control of the ball before it dropped inside of the post.

The U's were finishing the half at a good tempo, though, taking throw-ins quickly and moving the ball around well and, two minutes before the break, it needed some desperate defending from the Owls to get a corner kick away from danger as Grant flapped under the crossbar.

The keeper also showed uncertainty on the stroke of half time as a long punt into his area found Lisbie bearing down, but it needed a good collect in the end to stop the striker getting a shot on goal.

The visitors got their noses in front on the half time mark as Small escaped the offside trap - although it looked like he was the wrong side as he broke through U's defence - and despite the efforts of the backtracking Hammond and the save of Gerken, the ball found its way into the back of the net as it dropped agonisingly over the line.

Spirits were lifted somewhat during the half time interval after some fun and games with one of the Wednesday fans, but then it was onto the serious action of the second half.

There were not many chances in the opening exchanges but it needed good defending from Beevers on 50 minutes to deny the onrushing Duguid who was about to strike the ball after Platt's knock down.

The U's then had the ball in the back of the net eight minutes after the restart.

The linesman who had perhaps missed the offside for Wednesday's second deemed that Lisbie had gone too early when the striker poked the ball past Grant into the back of the net.

The visitors nearly extended their advantage as Tudgay got away after the U's lost possession, but substitute Balogh got in to get a crucial tackle in at the last moment.

The fans had stuck with their side - in the main - but frustration ripped through the stands as the U's forewent an attacking period of play as Duguid opted to pass the ball back to Gerken.

The U's then had a half shout of a penalty as Lisbie went to ground on the edge of the box. They got, in the end, a free kick not long afterwards and the set piece caused problems.

The original free kick looked like it had been wasted but it fell to Jackson who hit a first time half volley that fizzed only inches wide of the crossbar.

They again went close on 66 minutes as Lisbie teased the Wednesday defenders with the ball on the edge of the box before exchanging a one two, poking his eventual shot over the crossbar.

Between those chances, Elito was introduced by Geraint Williams in place of Izzet for the final 25 minutes of the match as the U's looked for a way back into the match.

Duguid had been coming in for some strong criticism from the fans during the second half but almost quashed that abuse with one sweep of his right foot with eighteen minutes to go. The shot took a deflection and dipped onto the crossbar as the U's players looked on agonisingly.

The U's then came close again as Lisbie bullied the ball off his man in the corner and struck a low cross that looked destined to be dispatched by Hammond until Hinds intervened with a great tackle.

The U's made their second change with ten minutes plus injury time to go, skipper Duguid coming off to be replaced by Scott Vernon.

But the substitute had only touched the ball once before the visitors nearly closed the game out. Tudgay and Burton combined well, with the latter in on Gerken at the edge of the box. The keeper saved well and the ball came back quickly at the striker who could not direct his header towards goal.

Wednesday were putting their bodies on the line to block the ball whenever the U's were getting shots in on goal, and it was making the difference as the clock run down.