Colchester United are out of this season's FA Cup after a 1-0 home defeat to Leyton Orient.

Colchester United went out of this season's FA Cup at the first hurdle this afternoon as Jason Demetriou's goal ten minutes from time put Leyton Orient in to the hat for the next round. Though many blamed referee Miller for United's exit, in truth this was a display from a disjointed and tired U's side who failed to live up to the standard's that Paul Lambert has set.

The U's boss made changes for the visit of Martin Ling's O's. Mark Cousins kept his place in goal after another clean sheet in Tuesday night's Johnson Paint Trophy while Dean Hammond missed out through suspension and was replaced by Anthony Wordsworth. On loan striker Sam Williams lined up alongside new captain Clive Platt with Vernon and Wasiu among seven players named on the bench.

Former O's man Matt Lockwood missed out through injury but there were familiar faces in the visiting ranks with Danny Granville at left back and Dean Morgan and Ryan Jarvis on the bench.

The opening fifteen minutes of the fixture gave the fans an idea of the type of game they could expect with chances few and far between and little in the way of flowing football. United were too narrow and with Perkins and Izzet having off-days in the middle of the park, rarely threatened Glenn Morris in the visitors goal.

Yeates fizzed a corner across the face of the goal while JJ Melligan crossed for Boyd to head over Cousin's crossbar.
Yeates then forced Morris to palm a shot from a very narrow angle behind for a corner while Izzet saw his long range effort go a couple of yards wide. The U's leading goal scorer then switched wings to great effect with a low cross that Jackson ran on to only to fire high, wide and handsome in to the massed ranks of the Orient fans behind the goal.

Platt nodded down a Yeates through ball but Williams couldn't find a decent touch to divert it goalwards. Izzet lost possession of the ball in the midfield which allowed Demetriou to try his luck from distance but thankfully, his luck wasn't in.

The Leyton Orient man did much better with another chance a few minutes later but Cousins' did superbly well to hold on to the ball at full stretch as de dived across his goal. The U's keeper was showing that he was a more than capable deputy for number one Dean Gerken with another good save from Boyd's header as the O's went in to the break slightly the happier side.

Neither side made a change at the break which was, for U's fans at least, slightly surprising. The home side looked lethargic in the opening 45 minutes but no doubt Paul Lambert and Ian Culverhouse had hoped that their half-time would galvanise the side in to action.

Platt headed straight at Morris from Yeates' cross before the Irishman attempted to catch the O's keeper out at his near post from a 25 yard free kick but saw Morris get right behind the ball to affect the save.

United were then opened up for the first time this afternoon as Chambers escaped the marking of the unusually ineffective David Perkins - Cousins once again saving the day by diving at the feet of the O's midfielder.

Lambert made his first change just after the hour mark with an exhausted Anthony Wordsworth making way for Medy Elito while former U's striker Dean Morgan come on to replace JJ Melligan five minutes later.

Morgan was straight in to the action by taking a free-kick which he curled over the wall but straight in to the midriff of the impressive Cousins. Yeates made headway down the left and pulled the ball back to Williams but the on-loan Villa man fired over from the angle. It was to be his last moment of note as Scott Vernon took over from him as Clive Platt's partner up front.

Two minutes later and quite literally a couple of minutes changed the game as the U's went from potentially leading the tie to going behind. Yeates' cross from the left picked out the unmarked Scott Vernon just yards out but the former Oldham man mis-timed his diving header in to the ground and Morris gratefully made the save - a yard either side and the U's were in front.

Almost immediately play transferred to the South End of the ground with Demetriou who got a lucky deflection as he evaded the challenge of Izzet on the edge of the box before getting beyond John White and firing the ball in to the far corner of the net.

From a corner Cousins dropped gratefully on the ball following a near post melee as the East London outfit looked to confirm the win that would get them in to the second round while Chambers again found Cousins in top form as the U's young custodian parried his shot away.

Lambert introduced Wasiu late on for Izzet but the St Albans man could nothing to change the result of the tie despite some five minutes of injury time provided by fussy official Miller. United fans were quick to blame the referee for some decisions that gone against them during the afternoon but, one offside against Vernon aside, they hadn't really affected the result too much. United were not at their best and they suffered defeat because of it.

United have had a tough week and that shouldn't be forgotten. The Essex Derby was full of effort and commitment and the long trip to Bournemouth in midweek will have added to those tiring limbs. The home side missed the influential Dean Hammond in the middle of the park and it’s probably why Perkins and Izzet didn't have their usual good games. I thought we were too narrow at times while Platt worked hard up front without much support with Williams looking a touch off the pace. Defensively we were sound enough and though this competition has gone, the U's are well placed in the JPT with an away trip to Luton in the area-semi-finals to come.

Shot of the Match: Demetriou let fly with a first half shot that Cousins did well to hold.
Save of the Match: Cousins chose the right time to dive at the feet of Chambers as the O's midfielder made ground in to the U's penalty area.
Moan of the Match: Big puddles in the car park, can we do something about them please Mr Cowling?
Man of the Match: The U's were off-key today and but for U's keeper MARK COUSINS may well have lost by a greater margin. The only weak thing from his performance today was the occasional poor kick but that aside, his decision making was excellent and on this performance, Paul Lambert may well find it tough to drop him for the next game.

Colchester: Cousins, White, Heath, Baldwin, Wordsworth (Elito 64), Jackson, Izzet (Wasiu 87), Yeates, Perkins, Williams (Vernon 78), Platt.
Subs Not Used: Gerken, Ifil, James Hammond, Batchelor.

Booked: Platt, Yeates.

Leyton Orient: Morris, Purches, Demetriou, Saah, Granville, Mkandawire, Melligan (Morgan 69), Chambers (Jarvis 90), Thornton, Boyd (Terry 90), Parkin.
Subs Not Used: Jones, Thelwell, Dawkins, Palmer.

Goals: Demetriou 80.

Att: 4,600

Ref: Pat Miller (Bedfordshire).

Photo: Action Images

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