A Byron Lawrence penalty couldn't prevent a Town U17 side from losing 3-1 at home to Colchester in a friendly on Saturday morning.
The Essex side took a fourth minute lead when Macauley Bonne laid the ball into the path of Jack Curtis, who lifted the ball over Michael Crowe and into the net.
Colchester's front pairing linked up three minutes later to double their lead, Bonne flicked on a long ball and Curtis calmly side-footed past the advancing Crowe.
The U's scored a third after 13 minutes when a lucky break allowed captain Sam Szmodics to round Crowe and tuck the ball into an empty net from a tight angle.
A shell-shocked Town side started to get back into the game and Kyle Hammond's near-post cross was bundled away for a corner by Charlie Gardiner despite pressure from Josh Fagbohan.
Shortly after, U's keeper James Bransgrove flapped at a corner but Matt Clarke's header went wide of the post.
Town pulled a goal back on 35 minutes when Hammond's marauding run into the box was halted by Conor Clarke and Lawrence stepped up to score the spotkick.
Five minutes later, Lawrence's left-wing cross was punched by Bransgrove and the ball ricocheted off Teddy Bishop, but the ball landed on the roof of the net.
Neither team created much at the start of the second half but as the hour mark approached, Lawrence's corner was met by Omar Sowunmi but his header was cleared off the line by Szmodics.
Lawrence's freekick was headed over by Matt Clarke when he should've hit the target, and Josh Emmanuel's right-wing cross was missed by Cemal Ramadan and Jack Willbye's effort was deflected inches wide.
However, Town couldn't pull any further goals back and the visitors deserved the win. Matt Clarke, playing at left-back, caught the eye for Town and Lawrence showed some good touches in midfield.
U17s: Crowe (McDermid 68), Fowler (Emmanuel 60), M Clarke, Berkane, Thompson, Sowunmi, Hammond (Ellis 68), Lawrence, Fagbohan (G Clarke 83), Bishop (Willbye 60), G Clarke (Ramadan 68).
Report: James Ager