Colchester United's under-23s suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat in their final game of the Professional Development League Two season this afternoon, writes BRIAN WALLER.

They were beaten by Watford at Florence Park, after Reece Miller scored the visitors' winner five minutes before the break.

There was an early shout for a U's penalty as Callum Jones went down in the box and then the away side went close as from an Ashley Charles cross from the right, Miller on the stretch failed to reach the ball.

The home side then were unlucky not to have taken the lead when the ball from Tariq Issa found Ollie Sims in the box, who did well to get the ball from under his feet but then struck the keeper's right hand post.

Then Ryan Clampin was fed in on the left by Sims but keeper Sam Howes was blocking with his legs.

On 20 minutes, Clampin went down in the box under a challenge but nothing was given.

An Issa shot on the turn from distance was held by keeper Howes but two minutes later, the U's were behind.

A pass to Miller saw him on the turn cleverly lift his shot over keeper Kurasik's head and in.

Watford began the second half well as in the opening minute Dion Perriera's low free-kick from the right, evaded everyone and at the last minute Kurasik was forced to dive to his right to push the shot around the post.

Then when Dennon Lewis got in down the left, Kurasik saved well at his near post.

On the hour U's trialist Noel Leighton was denied as keeper Howes saved with his legs with sub Max Ryan doing well to clear the follow up effort.

Three times Lewis got away on the left, with a back post effort by David Sesay going just wide, another saw a shot flick off a home defender for a corner and then Perreira went just wide.

But Colchester had several half chances with a mis-hit shot by Decarrey Sheriff and a cross eluding Callum Jones when well placed and Ollie Kensdale missed with his attempt to head in from a free-kick by Sims.

But despite a lot of late pressure, the U's could not find an equaliser.

Colchester United under-23s: Kurasik, Wright, Clampin, Warde, Kensdale, Rooney, Gondoh (sub Ager), Issa (sub Sheriff), Leighton (sub Anderson), Jones, Sims.

Substitutes (not used): Coulter, Wilson.