Playing their first league match for three weeks, the U`s were on their travels to take on Peterborough and a Fabian Quintyn goal gave them a 1-0 victory.

Mel Jeffries' squad hadn't played since the 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa in the FA Youth Cup and were looking for a positive result against the Cambridgeshire side.

It was expected with their physical size that the home team would adopt the direct aerial game and that is just what Colchester faced in the opening twenty minutes of the match.

It meant that the U's came under a lot of pressure but with central defenders James Hammond and Mitchell Nelson excelling and the others in the back five playing their part, the U`s hung on.

Gradually, Colchester got more into the game, with Adam Bailey-Dennis and then Fabian Quintyn on the turn, having efforts at goal. The U's continued to build on this, although Peterborough remained a threat.

Jermemiah Olusanya was coming more into the game and there was another chance for Quintyn before Jack Bailey missed his chance.

After good play down the right, the chance was missed from twelve yards out, then just before half time, there was another chance for Bailey-Dennis. His header was straight at the keeper though after he had been set up by an Olusanya cross.

The half time team talk would have been along the lines of continuing to be resolute and to withstand the physical and aerial attacks.

Apart from one miss-hit cross that keeper Jack Smelt did well to save, Colchester had a relatively quiet half of defending.

It was they who were now looking the better side, dictating the play and after a couple of good chances, which they failed to take, it was the U`s who sealed it with the only goal of the game.

Twelve minutes from full time, and soon after Russell Malton had replaced Bailey, a ball delivered from a wide area saw a Posh defender handle the ball in the box. Fabian Quintynthen duly dispatched the penalty kick past the home keeper to give the U's a deserved lead.

As the U`s saw out time, there were late changes that saw Perry Sansford on for one of the triallists and Kyelan Marvell coming on for Nick Hancock.

The win saw Colchester record their fourth league success of the season but their first since the opening day of December when they won 4-1 at Southend.