Scott Vernon's late winner gave Colchester United a dramatic 2-1 win at Brighton and Hove Albion on Boxing Day.

Substitute Vernon struck with three minutes to go, clinically finishing off a sweeping move to help the U's come from behind to win at the Withdean Stadium.

Colchester had fallen behind in the 21st minute to Nicky Forster's impressive header.

But an own goal by Seagulls defender Adam Hinshelwood ensured Colchester had gone in at half-time on level terms.

The U's made one change from the side that started against Scunthorpe, with Johnnie Jackson recalled in favour of Vernon.

That meant that the U's adopted a 4-5-1 formation for the first time under manager Paul Lambert, with Clive Platt the lone front-man supported by five midfielders.

Mark Yeates registered the game's first meaningful effort with a glancing header from Marc Tierney's cross.

However, it was the Seagulls who looked the more impressive in what was a fragmented opening 45 minutes.

Forster fired the U's a 15th minute warning when his shot with the outside of his foot crashed back off the crossbar, after he had latched onto Glenn Murray's pass.

But the former Ipswich Town striker made no mistake, six minutes later.

He met Dean Cox's floated ball into the area with a fine glancing header which sailed past goalkeeper Jimmy Walker's despairing dive.

David Perkins fired wide after nut-megging Matt Richards and advancing into the area and at the other end, Forster fired wastefully straight at Walker when in on goal.

It looked as though the U's would go in trailing at half-time, until they were handed a helping hand by Hinshelwood.

There appeared to be little danger when the Brighton defender picked up the ball midway inside his own half but inexplicably, his attempted back-pass sailed past stranded goalkeeper John Sullivan and into the net.

The own goal came out of the blue and got Colchester right back into the game, at a time when they were looking short of ideas.

Having looked blunt in attack, U's manager Lambert switched to a more conventional 4-4-2 formation in the second half, with Yeates pushed forward alongside Platt in attack and Jackson used as a left midfielder.

But it was Brighton who continued to look more dangerous.

Walker did well to hold on to Murray's shot on the turn and then parried Bradley Johnson's shot, before Jackson's low drive that flashed just wide signalled an improved passage of play for the U's.

And midway through the second half came Colchester's best chance of the match.

A patient build-up resulted in Alan Maybury picking out Platt with an accurate cross but the lofty striker could only head over the bar from close range.

Soon after Perkins tried his luck with a 25-yard thunderbolt that forced Sullivan to parry before with three minutes to go, the U's claimed the points.

Vernon had only been on the pitch eight minutes before he benefited from some slick inter-play between Maybury and Kem Izzet, advanced into the area and slotted coolly past Sullivan to secure the U's sixth league victory on their travels this season.