Greg Abbott went for the same starting eleven for the fifth time in a row for the long trip into Essex with assistant manager Graham Kavanagh stepping up onto the bench in place of Ryan Bowman.

The U's started at a high tempo without quite getting behind the United back line and David Mooney went in the book in the opening exchanges for a dive under pressure in the visitors' box.

Ian Henderson took matters into his own hands on 18 minutes with a shot from distance but it was always drifting wide.

A Gary Madine nod down at the far post looked perfect for the advancing Craig Curran at the other end but the Carlisle forward was frustrated to see his 6-yard header bobble harmlessly wide.

The Cumbrians had to be on their guard when Colchester broke forward and it needed a good tackle from Taiwo to prevent Perkins from setting one up for Henderson.

Carlisle were given a warning that Mooney was a man to watch on 27 minutes when he stretched to meet a Wilson cross from the edge of the box. The contact was good but the header was right at Collin.

He made amends for the miss in the next U's attack when he found space in front of goal to nod home a wicked delivery from the same source from just 8 yards out.

United lost the ball in midfield on 42 minutes and and Ian Henderson clipped cross caused the defence problems. Mooney got to it first and it needed a two-handed diving save from Collin to stop the home side from stretching their lead.

Half Time: Colchester 1 - 0 United

Taiwo found himself on the end of a Madine nod down with just seconds on the second half clock but he couldn't keep it down and his volley flew high into the stands.

Flowing football created space for the visitors on 50 minutes and Madine did well to cushion a McDaid pass into Curran's path. The Carlisle forward took a touch but his shot was right at Cousins.

Curran was livid that he wasn't awarded a penalty for a heavy challenge on 52 minutes and Zoko was unlucky to see his header fly right at Cousins when he stole a yard from the resulting corner.

Henderson skewed one wide at the other end as the game sprung into life, and Zoko was unlucky to see another header go astray as he made an Ian Harte free kick his own.

Craig Curran then twisted to meet a whipped Zoko cross from 8-yards out but it was a difficult chance and it spun over the bar off the top of his head.

Tom Taiwo sent a right foot shot right at Cousins as he overlapped in the area and the keeper pulled off an amazing save to deny Madine when he met a Curran cross on the dive.

United thought they'd equalised on 75 minutes when Curran and Taiwo combined to make space for a cross. Francois Zoko met it with a spectacular volley but it crashed off the underside of the bar and Baldwin was there to hook it clear.

Peter Murphy lofted a volley just over as United continued to ask questions, and the Cumbrians got the point they deserved when Paul Thirlwell kept his eye on the ball during a goalmouth scramble to drill it into the back of the net from close range.

Goals

Colchester - Mooney (30)

United - Thirlwell (90+3)

Bookings

Colchester - Mooney (4), Izzet (65)

United - Berrett (69)

Teams 

Colchester - Cousins, Okuonghae, Baldwin, Izzet, Bond, Henderson, Perkins (Beevers 71), Mooney (White 86), Wilson, Wordsworth (Odejayi 77), Tierney. Subs - Vincent, Heath, James, Pentney.

United - Collin, Simek, Chester, Harte (Murphy 75), McDaid, Thirlwell, Taiwo (Kavanagh 83), Berrett (Robson 73), Zoko, Curran, Madine. Subs - Caig, Bridge-Wilkinson, Hurst, Kane.

Away fans - 220