Colchester United's under-21s suffered a 2-1 defeat to Swansea City in the Professional Development League on a hot October afternoon at Florence Park. The young U's took an early lead but were pegged back by two Swansea goals either side of half-time.
Alex Faux gave Elliott Ward's side the perfect start, meeting Lennox Emery's left-wing corner at the near post to score in the eighth minute. Colchester created further chances, with Enoch Sampson having a header saved and Adrian Akande seeing a shot blocked, but they could not extend their advantage.
Swansea levelled just before the break. Harlan Perry's delivery was only partially cleared and Sebastian Debrowski volleyed home in the 44th minute. The visitors then completed the turnaround midway through the second half. Joe Davies' corner was met by Josiah Kallicharan, whose header found the net in the 64th minute.
Colchester pushed for an equaliser late on. Substitute Riley Smith saw a shot bounce just wide from a Jaden Williams cross. In the dying moments, Caiden Lewis rose to meet a cross but his header cannoned off the top of the bar and over, sealing the home side's fate.
The result continues a difficult period for the club's youth sides, mirroring the first team's struggles in League Two. The senior side's recent form has seen them win just one of their last five league games, leaving them 19th in the table with 10 points from eight matches. Their next fixture is a home game against Accrington Stanley on Saturday.
The under-21 team featured a blend of youth prospects and first-team players gaining minutes. Jaden Williams, Leon Chiwome and Kien Connolly all started, with Williams having a follow-up effort blocked. Chiwome was later replaced by Riley Smith, while Josh Adesanya and Donte Frank also entered the fray from the bench. Check the latest standings to see how the first team's position shapes up after that match.
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