DANNY Cowley admitted it was a 'damaging and really disappointing' night for his Colchester United side after they were thrashed 4-1 by in-form Doncaster Rovers.

The U's crashed to a heavy defeat at the JobServe Community Stadium against their play-off chasing opponents, who have now won ten games in a row in League Two.

It means Colchester still need a point from their final game of the season against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday to make sure of safety.

READ MORE: Match report as Colchester are heavily beaten by Doncaster

Cowley said: “It was a tough night for us.

“We have the ability to self harm, to self destruct, in a game where we let four terrible goals in.

“For 75 minutes, it was 2-1 and they’ve had three shots at goal, two from 30 yards and somehow they’re winning in the game.

“We were 2-1 down at half-time where we felt we shouldn’t have been, as we’d done a lot right.

“We were in total ascendency and they don’t even want to score any more goals, they want to hang onto what they’ve got and we gift them another two goals.

“I’ve just looked back at the goals and they’re very hard to defend.

Gazette:

“We actually played well box to box but you can’t say you’ve played well when we’ve conceded the goals that we have.

“It’s a damaging and really disappointing night and I’m really angry.

“We just did the basics so poorly.”

Colchester started well and went ahead through Jayden Fevrier's ninth-minute strike.

But Doncaster equalised five minutes later through Luke Molyneux's strike and scored again in the 22nd minute through Harrison Biggins.

Colchester fell further behind in the 76th minute when Tom Anderson squeezed a shot past Sam Hornby and in at the near post before Rovers sealed their victory in the 85th minute when Joe Ironside tapped in from close range.

READ MORE: Colchester United 1 Doncaster Rovers 4 - as it happened

"I think we started really well and went 1-0 up," said Cowley.

"We were the better team; they get a free-kick and it trickles into the net from 35 yards and it was a really bad goal to concede.

"They're a team that have the best two wide players in the league in Molyneux and Adelakun and I thought Ironside was a real handful.

"You can see what they like to do; they like to go through diagonals and behind our full-backs and isolate them on a 1v1.

Gazette:

"We ultimately dealt with it well other than the goals but we're 2-1 down at half-time and I didn't think we should have been; we actually felt that we'd done a lot right.

"We came out in the second half and were in the ascendency and dominating the ball in their half but then we lose the ball, end up giving a foul away and they've scored.

"They've scored four goals but two of them I don't think have reached our net.

"We had moments but when things go against us, we find it very, very difficult to deal with and that's why we're in the position that we're in and that's why we find ourselves going into the final game."