SWINDON Town suffered a disappointing start to 2023 as a result of a 1-0 defeat away at Colchester United on New Year’s Day.

Luke Hannant flicked in the only goal of the game half an hour into a contest where Swindon appeared tired and largely absent of diverse attacking ideas.

The visitors will have felt they should have been awarded a couple of penalties early in the second half, but those decisions never arrived and the club’s dreadful record against The U’s continued.

Town’s defeat sees them drop to sixth in League Two, but the Robins could fall down as far as 12th should the teams below win their games in hand.

Scott Lindsey made just one change from the side which squeaked past Northampton Town a few days ago, as Louis Reed came in for Saidou Khan at the base of midfield.

Ciaran Brennan regained his place on the bench after illness, with Harrison Minturn missing out on the squad.

There was no place for Charlie Austin as he could not be registered in time due to being a free agent. Town fans’ first chance to lay eyes on the new signing will come on Saturday, January 14 in the home game against Grimsby Town.

Swindon were badly lacking a figure like Austin in the first 20 minutes as a handful of half-chances came and went for the visitors.

Reed picked out Jonny Williams on a couple of occasions, but the first was volleyed over by the Welshman and the second saw a chested lay-off fall into the path of Kieran O’Hara instead of Luke Jephcott.

A vital interception from Cole Skuse prevented Tyrese Shade netting a second goal in as many appearances, while the aforementioned Swindon player sliced over when off balance inside the opening 10 minutes.

Frazer Blake-Tracy powered a header on target from a corner in the 14th minute, but O’Hara tipped over as United saw off the early Swindon threat.

The home side then scored the opening goal in the 30th minute against the run of play. Seconds before the corner which led to the goal Noah Chilvers cracked a fierce effort towards the bottom left corner, and Sol Brynn tipped it away.

From the corner, Al-Amin Kazeem whipped a left-footed ball in towards the near post, and Hannant looped his header into the far corner past a helpless Brynn.

Marcel Lavinier lashed well off target as the half expired without a further clear-cut opportunity for either side.

The second half began with two clear penalty shouts – one for either side. First, Blake-Tracy appeared to pull down his man at a corner. Seconds later, substitute Rushian Hepburn-Murphy saw a cut-back cross clearly strike a hand, but once again referee Carl Brook waved play on.

In the 55th minute, Hepburn-Murphy seemed to be dragged to the floor by Luke Chambers following a Lavinier cross from the left, but Mr Brook kept his whistle away from his mouth once again.

Seconds before being substituted for Jacob Wakeling, Shade drilled a low shot towards the bottom-left corner which O’Hara clawed away from danger. The U’s stopper was at it again a few minutes later when Wakeling nodded on target, only to see the effort pushed out.

Not to be outdone, Brynn denied the hosts on three separate occasions with his lower body midway through the second period. The best of which arrived when Junior Tchamadeu whipped in a lovely left-footed cross and Samson Tovide headed down, almost certain that he’d doubled his team’s lead.

Town were struggling to create any further chances, but they almost equalised with 10 minutes to play when Williams flicked a near-post corner from Gladwin along the top of the bar and out.

The remaining minutes – plus six added on – resulted in no further Town chances as Colchester hung on for a well-deserved victory to boost their own survival hopes.

CUFC starting XI: O'Hara, Chambers, Smith, Dallison, Hannant, Skuse, Chilvers, Ashley, Tchamadeu, Kazeem, Tovide.

CUFC substitutes: Hornby, Sears, Newby, Akinde, Miranda, Fevrier, Nouble.

STFC starting XI: Brynn, Hutton, MacDonald, Blake-Tracy, Lavinier, Reed, Iandolo, Gladwin, Williams, Jephcott, Shade.

STFC substitutes: Copland, Khan, Darcy, Hepburn-Murphy, Wakeling, Roberts, Brennan.

Referee: Carl Brook

Attendance: 3,599 (500)