Colchester United midfielder Tom Lapslie insists the club’s extensive injury list cannot be used as an excuse for their heavy home defeat against Portsmouth.

The U’s were without a dozen first-team players for the Pompey game, which saw them crash to a 4-0 reverse at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

It was Colchester’s heaviest League Two defeat of the season but midfielder Lapslie refused to blame the setback on their lengthy number of absentees.

Lapslie said: “I’m not going to use the injuries as an excuse – it was just a poor performance all round.

“As an XI, we’re good enough to beat any team and we’re a lot better than we showed, regardless of injuries.

“Any team from Colchester United should not be losing like that to anyone.

“It was a bitter pill to swallow – it was a tough afternoon for us and very disappointing.”

Colchester were put to the sword by Portsmouth, for whom Eoin Doyle, Kyle Bennett, Danny Rose and Michael Doyle all netted.

Lapslie said: “In the first ten minutes, we had the ball in their half quite a bit and had a couple of chances but then they got possession and were pressing us back in.

“We didn’t have an out ball and Ports (Chris Porter) was up front on his own fighting two big centre-halves and we couldn’t really get out.

“We didn’t play particularly well in the first half and we would probably have taken 1-0 at half-time, the way we played.

“We said all of the right things at half-time and we wanted to start well with more tempo.

“But it was disappointing how the second goal has gone in within a minute and that killed us really – it’s hard to take when a goal goes in like that.

“We were chasing the game and at 3-0, we probably shouldn’t have been so attacking and we left ourselves open for the fourth.

“But that was us willing to win and try and get a goal and get back into the game.

“Fair play to Portsmouth – they’re a good side who will be in and around the top and they took us apart.”

Colchester have the chance to bounce back immediately from the Portsmouth defeat when they host fellow play-off hopefuls Mansfield Town, tomorrow night – and Lapslie believes that is a good thing.

“I’m happy that there’s a game – I wouldn’t want to wait a week for another one,” added the 21-year-old midfielder, who has made 31 appearances for Colchester so far this season.

“It can’t get any worse than the Portsmouth game so let’s pick up our performance and get three points against Mansfield.

“We’ll regroup, rethink and go again to try and put in a good performance.”