By EDWARD MARRIAGE

ETON MANOR 18

COLCHESTER 13

London League division one north

COLCHESTER’S up-and-down season took a notable dip on a fine, cold day in East London as they were well beaten by Eton Manor.

The final score did not flatter the home side and the late try which earned Colchester a losing bonus point had the followers of both sides scratching their heads.

Behind for most of the game, Colchester pushed for a try.

Their scrum, close to the Eton Manor line, was going backwards when number eight Jamie Miller appeared to knock the ball on to Dan Whiteman,who looked to be offside as he collected it.

As both sides hesitated, presumably expecting the referee’s whistle, Sean Bundy galloped over to score.

The Eton Manor contingent were still protesting as Harvey Skinner added the conversion.

It was a dramatic conclusion to a thoroughly underwhelming match.

Playing on Eton Manor’s artificial pitch - identical to the one being installed at Colchester’s new ground for next season - the visitors opened brightly.

And despite being reduced to 14 men following Miller’s early yellow card, they took the lead through Skinner’s penalty.

Colchester’s infuriation at Manor’s persistent offending - they conceded four swift penalties close to their line without further sanction - was exacerbated by the home side drawing level shortly afterwards through Craig Ratford’s drop goal.

The match then entered a scrappy phase, with Colchester again reduced to 14 men following Liam Pickett’s yellow card for killing the ball.

During his absence, Manor took the lead with one of the more bizarre tries of the season.

Defending a scrum on his own line, Colchester scrum- half Brett Cutbush rolled the ball back in order to clear, but because he took the ball over his own try line, offside did not apply and the quick-thinking Rhys Davis-Horne pounced.

Turning round 8-3 ahead, Manor turned the screw with further tries from wing Elliot Brown and full-back Cameron Dutch, who should have scored Manor’s fourth but inexplicably dropped the ball having done all the hard work.

Having looked flat for most of the second half, Colchester found their mojo in the final moments.

Skinner’s penalty made it 18-6 and then - with Manor reduced to 14 men - came that controversial late try and the bonus point.

“Inconsistent” was the verdict of Colchester first team manager Jon Smith, who couldn’t hide his disappointment.

"We just lost control in the middle of the game, lost our heads, didn’t make good decisions," said Smith.

“Two yellow cards and you’re playing a fair proportion of the game with one, maybe two, men down. "You can’t do that when you’re chasing the game.

"Maybe we’ve just got to grow up a bit and make a few more mature decisions on the pitch.

“Points went begging, because we should have won that game.”

Despite the setback, Colchester stayed second in the league, level on points with Southend but now 14 points behind leaders North Walsham.

Colchester’s final match of 2019 is away to in-form Sudbury on Saturday.