Play-off heartbreak for Colchester United at Exeter

Colchester United Head Coach John McGreal watches on as his team is beaten in the SkyBet League Two Playoff semi-final 2nd leg at Exeter Credit: PA

Colchester United's hopes of winning promotion via the SkyBet EFL League Two play-offs were ended by Exeter City at St James's Park.

Despite leading 1-0 from the 1st Leg of their semi-final, the U's lost 3-1 in the return contest at St James' Park after extra time.

The Grecians will play at Wembley in next Monday's final (June 29), with the campaign extended after a three-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The result also killed off the U's hopes of returning to Wembley 22 years after winning the old Third Division Play-Off Final to move up into English Football's third tier.

Exeter needed less than 10 minutes of the second leg to level the tie.

Cohen Bramall's late free-kick had given Colchester a 1-0 win at home last week, but any hopes of defending that lead at St James Park were swiftly dashed.<

Aaron Martin was the Grecians' goalscorer, firing home from just inside thearea after the visitors failed to clear their lines following a free kick on the right.

Luke Norris was denied an equaliser for the U's shortly before half time, meeting Ryan Jackson's right wing cross with a glancing header. However Exeter keeper Jonny Maxted palmed it away at full stretch.

Colchester United goalkeeper Dean Gerken Credit: PA

Colchester's bright start to the second half looked to be in vain when they conceded again, with goalkeeper Dean Gerken badly at fault.

He'd just seen Ryan Bowman's angled header crash off the post, but couldn't stop Jayden Richardson's follow-up shot from the rebound from squirming under his body.

The U's battled back and dragged tie level twelve minutes from the end of normal time.

Maxted could only divert Bramall's cross from the left into the patch of substitute Courtney Senior, who rifled in from close range.

And another of Colchester's young stars could've won the contest in the final minute.

Kwame Poke was sent racing clear after a pass from Theo Robinson, but couldn't beat Maxted who came out to close him down.

Exeter City's Ryan Bowman celebrates scoring his side's third goal to win the League Two play-off semi-final against Colchester Credit: PA

The teams couldn't be separated until six minutes into the second period of extra time, with the hosts turning defence into attack following a Colchester throw on the right.

Bowman was played in by Archie Collins, and the Grecians' top scorer finished clinically after beating the U's offside trap.

Despite a couple of brief flurries in the hosts' penalty area, the U's couldn't find another equaliser to force a penalty shoot-out.