COLCHESTER United’s long unbeaten league run was ended this afternoon after two late goals gave Cambridge United a 2-1 victory at the Abbey Stadium.

The U’s had led through Luke Norris’s second-half header and looked on course for victory.

But two quickfire goals in the space of 70 seconds from substitute Andrew Dallas in the 85th minute and Harvey Knibbs in the 86th minute turned the game on its head and ended Colchester’s 16-match unbeaten run.

It was a painful way for the U's to lose, in front of more than 1,200 of their travelling fans.

Colchester head coach John McGreal made three changes from the side that started their game against Swindon Town.

Luke Norris, Frank Nouble and Courtney Senior all returned to the team, with Theo Robinson, Luke Gambin and Callum Harriott dropping to the bench.

The blustery conditions played their part in a first half that saw both teams largely cancel one another out.

Cambridge made the better start and George Maris's hopeful effort from 25 yards flew harmlessly wide for the hosts, inside the opening five minutes.

The hosts came closer to scoring in the eighth minute when Victor Adeboyejo curled in a low effort that U’s keeper Dean Gerken got down well to his right to save.

Colchester had a sniff at goal in the 19th minute when Norris helped on Ryan Jackson's ball into the area but Nouble was just unable to convert, after keeper Callum Burton came out quickly to gather.

Just before the half hour mark, Kwame Poku's low drive from the edge of the area sailed straight at Burton, after Harry Pell had headed Luke Prosser's free-kick into his path.

But Cambridge had arguably the best chance of the first half six minutes before the break when Idris El Mizouni blasted wide from close range from Adeboyejo's cross, after the Cambridge attacker had capitalised on Prosser’s untimely slip to pick out his team-mate.

The sides went in goal-less at the break and boss McGreal changed things early in the second half, sending Callum Harriott on for Poku and then Gambin for Senior soon after, in a bid to try and make a breakthrough.

And it came just after the midway point of the second half.

Norris was on hand to brilliantly steer a header home from close range, after Cohen Bramall’s corner was inadvertently headed on by Cambridge's Leon Davies in the area.

It looked like Colchester were on their way to victory but then two goals in little more than a minute turned the game on its head.

Cambridge equalised when Dallas was picked out brilliantly by George Maris in the U's area and steered a shot past Gerken and into the far corner.

And soon after, Knibbs rose high at the far post to plant a header home from Davies' deep cross.

There was no way back for Colchester after that, as their long unbeaten run was ended.