COLCHESTER United transfer targets Shamal George and Tommy Smith both featured as the hosts were beaten in their friendly double header against League One side Peterborough United tonight.

The U’s lost 3-1 in their first game and were then defeated 2-0 in the second encounter, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Peterborough made their attacking intentions know from the start in the first of the two 90-minute matches and Siriki Dembele sent a free header just over the crossbar.

Dembele was then denied by Colchester keeper Dean Gerken midway through the first half after finding space on the edge of the area before firing in a powerful shot.

And although Callum Harriott cured a left-foot effort over the bar from just outside the area from a difficult angle for the U’s, it was the visitors who looked the more likely to make the breakthrough.

Sure enough, Posh took a 30th-minute lead through Dan Butler, whose low effort went in despite captain Harry Pell’s desperate attempts to keep it out of the net, after Dembele and Mo Eisa had linked up well to create the chance.

And the U’s trailed 2-0 a few minutes later when Dembele ran at the U’s defence and advanced into the area before blasting a shot decisively past Gerken at his near post.

Eisa’s 25-yard free-kick flashed just wide of the post soon after and Gerken tipped Eisa’s free-kick over the bar for a corner, as Peterborough pressed for more goals.

Eisa’s shot from the edge of the area flew wide of the far post early in the second half before in the 53rd-minute, Butler lifted a ball into the roof of the net after Dembele had picked him out in the area.

Gerken tipped a shot over the bar and Eisa’s long-range strike clattered the inside of a post, as the U’s were forced to defend.

But Colchester grabbed a consolation goal in the 81st minute when Jevani Brown confidently side-footed home from close range, after youngsters Marley Miranda-Marshall and Miquel Scarlett had linked up well to set him up.

It was a more inexperienced Colchester side that took to the field for the second game.

But a similar trend ensued, with Posh doing most of the attacking.

Goalkeeper Shamal George made a superb save down to his right to deny Niall Mason, before Peterborough took a 24th-minute lead when Ricky Jade-Jones ran at the U’s defence and into the area before drilling a precise low shot past George and into the net.

Colchester thought they had made an instant reply two minutes later when Jake Hutchinson ran through on goal and put the ball in the net, only for the referee to pull the ball back for a U’s free-kick.

And just three minutes later, Colchester fell further behind when Jade-Jones finished strongly past George, after breaking the offside trap.

Serhat Tasdermir fired over from close range for Peterborough and at the other end, Sammie McLeod curled a long-range shot wide of the target as the U’s trailed 2-0 at the break.

George was out quickly to deny Tasdermir after the Posh attacker had raced through on goal, as the visitors claimed a double win.

COLCHESTER UNITED (first game): Gerken, Scarlett (sub Kennedy, 90), Eastman, Smith, Bramall (sub Cracknell, 75), Stevenson, Chilvers, Pell (sub Miranda, 60), Gambin, Harriott, Brown.

Second game: George, Sowunmi, Senior, Kensdale, Fernandes, Clampin, Akolbire (sub Kennedy, 65), Hasanally, Marshall-Miranda (sub Cracknell, 65), McLeod, Hutchinson.