Colchester United fell to a narrow defeat in their opening group game in the revamped Checkatrade Trophy.

The U's lost 1-0 at Crawley Town, in their opening Group E match in the revamped Football League Trophy, in front of a crowd of less than 900 at the Checkatrade Trophy.

Colchester head coach John McGreal made five changes to his side for their game at Crawley.

In came Alex Wynter, Kane Vincent-Young, Dion Sembie-Ferris, Macauley Bonne and Denny Johnstone, with Richard Brindley, Chris Porter, Brennan Dickenson, Luke Prosser and Kurtis Guthrie making way.

Goalkeeper Sam Walker captained the U’s, who fielded six academy products in their starting line-up and had four on the bench.

Crawley started the better of the two sides, with James Collins heading straight at Walker in the fifth minute.

But at the other end, Bonne's rasping effort from the edge of the area flashed just over, while a minute later Sammie Szmodics curled just over from 25 yards after good play by Bonne to set him up.

But Colchester had a let off midway through the first half when Collins’ low effort bounced back off the post after he had latched onto Banton’s through pass that had dissected the U’s defence.

Crawley looked the more dangerous of the two sides before half-time and shortly after Walker had dived to his right to hold Mark Connelly’s low 30-yard effort, the hosts went ahead, 11 minutes before the break.

Banton's delivery picked out an unmarked Collins in the area who steered a good header past Walker and in.

Colchester had an opportunity to level before half-time when Johnstone latched onto Szmodics' through pass and went past keeper Beeney but saw his weak shot cleared by the Reds defence.

And Walker was called upon soon after to stop Adi Yussuf’s downward header from close range, as the U’s went in at the interval trailing.

Colchester were unlucky not to equalise just before the hour mark when Johnstone kept the ball on play on the byline and advanced towards goal before unleashing a powerful shot that Beeney did brilliantly to push onto the crossbar and away for a corner.

Academy duo Diaz Wright, brother of Drey Wright and Dexter Peter, were sent on for their senior debuts just after the hour mark, in a bid to get Colchester back into the game.

But apart from a Johnstone effort that flashed over the bar as the clock ticked down, the U's were unable to force an equaliser as they fell to a narrow loss.

For full coverage of the U's game with Crawley Town, see Wednesday's Daily Gazette.