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Unbeaten run ended at Colchester

Charlton's unbeaten start to the League One season was ended by Colchester United in a 3-0 loss on Tuesday night.

Two strikes from Barnsley loanee Kayode Odejayi, after an own goal from Miguel Llera, gave the hosts the three points as the Addicks' first ever trip to the Weston Homes Community Stadium ended in defeat.

Llera's unfortunate own goal, against the run of play, gifted the hosts the lead in the 29th minute after the Spaniard's mis-communication with onrushing keeper Rob Elliot resulted in him heading the ball into his own net.

Odejayi powered away from Llera to slam home a second two minutes later with his first goal for the U's, and he tucked home a second 12 minutes into the second half.

It marked a welcome return to form for big striker Odejayi, who was the talk of English football back in March 2008 after his goal for the Tykes sent mighty Chelsea tumbling out of the FA Cup at Oakwell.

Since that golden moment he has struggled in front of goal, managing just four more strikes, but his luck changed against the Addicks.

Not that the visitors did themselves many favours on a miserable night in Essex that would have left the vocal supporters that made the perplexing journey to the sparkling stadium feeling as empty as the Colchester United FC signage department.

The Addicks must have wished their bearings were a little better on the pitch as three mistakes effectively proved the difference.

Having started to dominate proceedings in the opening period, they gifted the hosts a lead they showed no signs of giving up.

Deon Burton had lifted an opening over and Nicky Bailey fired wide after a patient move on the right, before a hopeful stab into the box from Anthony Wordsworth just before the half-hour mark looked set to pose no problems.

But as quickly as you could say 'communication breakdown', Llera stooped in to head the ball over Elliot and, despite the keeper's efforts to scramble back and claw out the ball, he couldn't stop it crossing the line.

The hosts, playing the Aidy Boothroyd brand of direct football, then doubled their lead as Odejayi surged away from Llera and finished clinically.

Charlton had been two goals behind the last time they visited Colchester at their previous Layer Road ground, but any hopes of a fightback were dashed in the 57th minute as Odejayi took advantage of another mix-up, this time between Elliot and skipper Nicky Bailey, to stab home.

Deon Burton and Jonjo Shelvey went close for a consolation for the Addicks, who saw plenty of the ball all evening, while ex-Charlton striker Kevin Lisbie spurned a golden chance to add a fourth in stoppage time when he lifted a shot over. It's probably fair to say Phil Parkinson can think of nothing worse than coming back to a club he once graced as manager.

His two returns to Essex as manager of Hull City and now Charlton have ended in defeat - 8-1 on aggregate - but one loss in 10 games still represents a solid start to this season.

And with Leeds pegged back by Carlisle on the night, they will travel to Elland Road in pretty decent shape.

In terms of team news, Charlton sent an unchanged side into battle in their League One clash at Colchester as they attempted to take their unbeaten run into double digits.

Portuguese midfielder Jose Semedo remained sidelined with a pelvic injury so Matt Spring continued in central midfield.

Parkinson also made a first managerial trip to the Essex side's new ground, having managed them to the Championship in 2006.

Charlton returned to winning ways against Exeter City at The Valley on Saturday, having drawn their previous two matches.

And their last away outing, at Norwich City, ended in controversy as Grant Holt helped himself to a contentious injury-time leveller in a 2-2 draw.

That marked the first time the Addicks had dropped points away from SE7, but with a sizeable support set to make the trip up the A12, Charlton's players were keen to send out a message to their rivals.

Elliot continued between the posts with the back four, right to left, Frazer Richardson, Christian Dailly, Llera and Kelly Youga.

Spring partnered Therry Racon in the middle of the park with Shelvey operating just behind sole striker Burton. Lloyd Sam and skipper Bailey were out wide.

Goal hero from Saturday Izale McLeod was joined on an unchanged bench by Darren Randolph, Chris Solly, Sam Sodje, Grant Basey, Scott Wagstaff and Tamer Tuna.

There were two familiar faces from Charlton's past in the U's starting line-up.

Lisbie, who made 176 appearances for the Addicks across a 10-season spell at the club, and notched three goals in the two games these last two sides met, started wide on the right.

Midfielder Kemi Izzet never made a first-team appearance for the Addicks, but the former youth teamer was back in the fold on his return from suspension and would celebrate his 29th birthday with a win.

The fans behind Elliot's goal were in fine voice from the opening whistle and the keeper distinguished himself with six minutes on the clock as Colchester carved out the first opening of the game.

Wordsworth burst into the box from the U's left, and his shot was expertly blocked by Elliot, with the keeper stretching out a leg to foil the hosts in the follow-up.

Parity restored, Charlton eventually scrambled the ball to safety but they found themselves hemmed into their own half in the early stages.

Lisbie drew jeers from the fans behind the goal when shanking a volley out for a throw while the Addicks worked their first significant opening on the quarter hour.

Racon's great diagonal pass spread the play to Bailey on the left and he in turn picked out the overlapping Youga.

There was plenty of personnel in the box to meet the left-back's low cross, but maybe too many, as Sam stumbled amid a ruck of players and the hosts were able to clear.

Richardson put too much curl on a cross from an advanced position on the right as the Addicks probed again, and Burton had a look at the whites of Ben Williams' eyes midway through the half after escaping onto a long ball on the left, but his shot flew high over the bar.

More good play from Charlton saw a low Bailey cross just elude Sam again, and the Addicks conjured up a cracking move in the 24th minute.

Richardson centred from the right and the ball was nudged on by first Sam and then Burton for skipper Bailey who planted a shot just wide of the right upright.

Parkinson's rueful expression on the touchline told its own story, and Burton wriggled away from Danny Batth in Charlton's next attack but the stumbling striker could not get enough purchase on his shot, and Williams saved easily.

Charlton were well on top by this stage, but they shot themselves in the foot in the 29th minute by gifting Colchester the lead.

After good work from Clive Platt on the right, Izzet picked out Wordsworth in the middle and the winger side-stepped the referee and clipped a harmless looking ball forward.

There seemed little danger as Elliot came off his line, but the communication channel had not reached Llera with the big Spaniard's efforts to guide the ball back to his keeper seeing him loop a header into the back of the net.

Despite his best efforts Elliot could not stop the ball crossing the line, and the keeper was beaten again two minutes later as the hosts doubled their money.

This time it was route-one, as a clipped ball down the right side from John-Joe O'Toole was chased by Odejayi and the striker got the wrong side of Llera and ripped a cracking low shot past Elliot and into the bottom left corner of the net.

It was a hammer blow to Parkinson, who was being reminded of the score by the fans that used to shout his name in adulation, and Charlton's horrible few minutes culminated in Shelvey turning onto a low cross from the right and slicing well wide.

The hosts threatened again in the first of two minutes of injury time at the end of the half as the powerful Odejayi muscled away from Dailly on the left.

At first glance it looked as if the striker was going to drive through on goal and get a shot in, but he unselfishly pulled the ball back to Platt whose stabbed effort cannoned off the midriff of Richardson.

There was still time for Charlton to force a late free-kick on the right and Bailey darted in to meet the ball only for his header to loop off his marker Marc Tierney and fly behind for a corner.

That was that for the opening period with Parkinson left with plenty to talk about, and after a busy start to the second period Lisbie saw his claims for hand-ball against Youga waved away.

And after a monumental scramble at a corner from the Colchester right 11 minutes in the ball was stuck amid a cluster of players before Lisbie shot over the bar.

But the hosts were celebrating again a minute later as they made it 3-0.

Again Charlton were caught short at the back; Elliot hurtling off his line to attempt to deal with a clipped ball forward by Lisbie as Bailey looked to head away.

Neither connected and the net result saw Odedayi, who was lurking in close attention, tick out a leg and jab the loose ball home from a narrow angle.

Charlton were toiling, but they did create an opening on the hour as the marauding Richardson teed up Burton who could only shoot into the ground and the effort was easy for Williams.

Parkinson sent on McLeod, a former United loan man, two minutes later for Spring, while Wordsworth saw his curling free-kick deflected over after a Llera foul right on the edge of the box.

The Spaniard was replaced by Sodje soon afterwards and the action rather dried up for spell after that.

Bailey looped a header wide of the right upright after another purposeful run and cross from Richardson and Burton was booked for dissent seven minutes from time.

Lisbie drove in from the right and saw a shot loop up and over the bar off a defender and although the destiny of the points was secure, Shelvey still sought a consolation and saw his cracking curling effort matched by a flying save from Williams three minutes from time.

Shelvey was booked in injury time and Lisbie had what he though was his moment in the third of four added minutes.

As he pressurised Dailly to a ball in from the right, the ball span horribly away from the stumbling Scot and Lisbie was in on goal.

But his composure was lacking when it mattered, and the slimmest of consolations for the visitors is that they kept their former striker off the scoresheet before the final whistle sounded.

Charlton: Elliot; Richardson, Youga, Dailly, Llera (Sodje 68); Sam, Spring (McLeod 62), Racon, Shelvey, Bailey; Burton.

Subs (not used): Randolph, Solly, Basey, Wagstaff, Tuna.

Goals: Llera (og) 29, Odejayi 31, 57

Booked: Burton 83 (dissent), Shelvey 90 (foul on Izzet)

Colchester: Williams; White, Tierney, Batth, Okuonghae (Heath 86); Lisbie, Izzet, O'Toole, Wordsworth (Elito 90); Platt (Ifil 74), Odedayi.

Subs (not used): Cousins, Gillespie, Hackney, Fox.

Ref: M Russell

Att: 7,098

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