New Colchester United interim first-team boss Wayne Brown admitted his players were left feeling low following their 3-0 defeat at Forest Green Rovers tonight.

The U's were well beaten at the New Lawn, after Jamille Matt's first-half brace and Frank Nouble's second-half own goal gave the hosts a well-deserved win.

Forest Green played the whole of the second half with only ten men following Ebou Adams straight red card for serious foul play just before half-time but the U's were unable to find any consolation and slumped to defeat, in Brown's first game in caretaker charge.

Brown said: "When you lose a game of football, it's always going to be disappointing.

"The lads are obviously very low in there at the moment but now it's our job to pick them up.

"We've got another game on Tuesday and there's a few positives in there in the fact that we were on the front foot out of possession in the first half and we were nicking the ball, higher up in their half which we had worked on but we just lacked a bit of quality on the transitions.

"There were positives and negatives to come out of it which we can have a look at and assess and try and take forwards."

Colchester have now gone 14 games without a win in League Two and came up against a Forest Green side who bounced straight back, following a surprise home defeat against struggling Southend United in midweek.

Brown added: "I think there's got to be a bit of realism in the fixture in the fact that they're probably one of the top teams in the division.

"At times, the quality showed through but at the end of the day, as I've said before they're all winnable fixtures.

"Goals change games and we could have defended crosses better and stop the ball coming into the box.

"Once we were in the box, we should have been dealing with them a lot better to give ourselves the best chance we could to get something out of the game.

"That wasn't the case and it needs to be worked on and it will be worked on.

"It's important that we still keep positive for the lads - there are games to go and we have another game against Carlisle on Tuesday which is a very winnable game, at home.

"We'll be doing everything we can to get the lads ready for that fixture."