The U's fell to yet another home defeat on Tuesday night as a controversial early decision by referee Pat Miller left the home side with it all to do from the opening moments of the game.

A red card decision for Phil Ifil left supporters enraged and confused in equal measure and it opened the door for Hull City to strengthen their claims for a play-off spot - at the very least - as the season comes to a close.

Down to ten men, the home team were left with it all to do and the decisive finishing of Fraizer Campbell proved the difference as the pacey front man found himself in the heart of the action throughout.

The U's put in a spirited display in the remainder of the first half to give themselves hope in the second forty-five minutes, but they could not break down the resilient Tigers after the interval.

And, as the U's pushed forwards, they were picked off by the visitors as Folan grabbed the crucial fourth goal of the match.

The floodlights were on for the last time at Layer Road and another defeat moves the U's closer to the brink as the lights are almost out on their current campaign.

The U's made just the one change to the starting eleven from the game against Cardiff on Saturday as Anthony Wordsworth came into the side in place of Medy Elito.

The home team started fairly brightly, although Hull's direct tactics were certainly giving the back four plenty to think about in the opening exchanges.

The first time that City got the ball down and played, Campbell escaped through the middle and Virgo saw yellow as he caught the Tigers front man from behind as he headed towards goal.

From the resultant set piece, Windass stepped up to curl the ball towards goal and it just crept wide of the post as Gerken scrambled across goal.

The front man again caused problems on 13 minutes as he wriggled past the same U's defender on the edge of the box, but didn't connect cleanly with his shot.

The referee was at the heart of the action again on the quarter hour mark as Ifil saw red for a seemingly innocuous foul on the edge of the box. He had hauled down Campbell but there were other defenders in the vicinity as well.

The home team would have to then play the majority of the game with ten men and the Layer Road crowd were incensed with the very strange decision by Mr Miller.

Football was becoming second to the game itself as Campbell joined the other cautioned players three minutes after the dismissal for a late collect on White as the U's defender cleared the ball.

The visitors then came close to taking the lead after 19 minutes as Ashbee got in at the far post from a City corner to power a header towards goal and Gerken saved fantastically well before the Hull captain lashed the rebound well over.

The home fans were deciding that it was time to rally around their side as the injustices of the early decisions came home to roost.

However, the visitors took the lead with 20 minutes on the clock. Danger man Campbell got the ball in the box and although Gerken saved well from the first shot, the rebound went straight to the Hull player who found the exposed side of the net to shoot home.

Mr Miller continued to make a name for himself as the half wore on, again giving a couple of decisions against the U's that caused fury in the stands. As the first period wore on, though, the U's started to get a set piece or two, greeted with ironic cheers by the home support

The Tigers were making the most of their numerical advantage though and were often making the most of the diagonal ball towards White and Garcia down the Hull right, although the U's man was giving as good as he got.

However, the City side doubled their advantage with 33 minutes on the clock as the ball was fed through to the dangerous Campbell, who again left Virgo wrongfooted as he created space in the box to bury the ball in the bottom corner.

Two almost became three two minutes later as the ball was sent over from the right and Pedersen turned his head onto the ball and his header dropped only inches wide.

But the home team gave themselves a glimmer of hope on 37 minutes. Jackson showed fantastic tenacity to win the ball and burst towards goal.

The deputy skipper lost the ball but won it back and then slid it out to Lisbie. He too had to battle to keep hold of the ball but worked a position to drill the ball past Myhill and into the bottom corner.

The chances just kept on coming and Windass really should have extended the lead once again four minutes after the U's goal. A cross from the left eluded all of the home defenders, but the experienced striker couldn't direct his header on target.

Referee Miller ended the half as he had started it, being right in the thick of the action with a bizarre decision. Garcia had burst towards goal and was tugged back by Jackson, but after consultation with his linesman, the yellow card was given to Heath.

The U's then twice nearly equalised from a corner, with the second header towards goal being cleared off the line. Half the home players were celebrating, but the linesman and referee ignored the claims that it had crossed over for an equaliser.

They started the second half creating opportunities as well, as Platt somehow got past the City defence and hit a shot on the angle which, whilst lacking real power, caused Myhill problems as he fell to his left.

The visitors had a corner five minutes after the restart that saw the U's then break away with, which ended with a set piece for the home team. The ball came out to Hammond, but he drove the ball well over the bar.

The visiting fans thought their side had extended the scoreline but it was Colchester dictating the tempo after the restart.

They were winning a series of corners and it needed good defending by Dawson to stop Heath getting in on goal. However, a superb double save from Gerken not long afterwards kept the U's in the game.

In an attempt to take the sting out of the game, the Tigers were happy to string the ball around at the back and wait for the U's to come onto them and the home side made their first change on the hour mark as Izzet replaced Wordsworth.

Whilst Campbell was out on the pitch, though, the Tigers always had a threat and the front man headed the ball wide from a central position on 63 minutes.

City made their first changes not much later, introducing Hughes for Pedersen and Folan for Windass and the U's continued to make early changes as Balogh was also introduced for the final quarter of the game in place of Duguid and Vernon came on for Platt.

Once the flurry of substitutions had subsided, the U's had a slight shout for a penalty as the ball bundled around in the Hull area and Jackson went to ground under pressure.

Referee Miller was in the thick of the action yet again ten minutes before the end as he booked Izzet and then Gerken did his bit as he pulled off a great save from Dawson and held onto the ball at the same time.

City were happy to hit the U's on the counter attack, and from a quickly taken set piece, his low shot was well saved by Gerken before the deflection went wide of goal.

But the U's shot stopper, who had been so excellent in the game, could do little about it as Folan skipped through the home defence to round the goalkeeper and put the ball into the empty net and kill off the game.

Three so nearly became four as the visitors broke forward once again and Garcia's rifled shot crashed back off the bar and away to safety.

The home team thought they might have a shout for a penalty as Vernon was hauled down in the box - but the officials combined to deny the decision as the linesman's flag went up.

It was their decision at the start of the match that had given the U's it all to do as Ifil made way and the home team had never recovered after that.

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