The Saddlers recovered from suffering their first defeat of the season to Salford by ending the U’s unbeaten home league record.

Walsall took a third-minute lead when Declan Skura converted from close range after Reece Smith’s corner into the six-yard box had been helped on.

And although Colchester levelled through Jack Payne’s 35th-minute penalty, after Elicha Ahui fouled Moses Sesay in the box, Walsall struck twice late on to win.

Aaron Pressley restored the Saddlers’ advantage when he nodded in Mason Hancock’s cross in the 79th minute, before substitute Connor Clarke netted in the sixth minute of stoppage time when his shot went in off the crossbar after Thimothee Lo-Tutala had denied Andy Dallas.

Walsall boss Grant said: “I was delighted with the reaction.

“It was one of the biggest things for us post-game in that it’s not easy when you’ve had a flat performance and one where you actually feel like you’ve let yourself down in certain areas.

“The mentality was strong today – it showed from the start and even having been pegged back, I think the mentality even despite the fact that we certainly weren’t at our best in the first half, much better second, the mentality stayed strong.

“We found a way to grow, show character, believe and took action in lots of moments and just went after the game.

“We keep encouraging the group, don’t wait for confidence or belief – just keep working hard and trust that we’re doing some things well.

“We’re organised and the structure is good, so go and take action – that confidence, trust and belief comes as a by-product of that.”

Colchester are winless in 10 in League Two, and boss Danny Cowley said: “We let a really poor first goal in – it wasn’t the start that we were planning all week.

“We wanted to put a really powerful response together and we let such a soft goal in. I don’t expect with the physicality that we have on the pitch to concede that goal.

“The first goal happens and you think ‘this is going to really test us’ but we responded in a really positive way.

“We had a good place in the game in the first half, we score, it gets disallowed.

“That could have easily stopped us but we kept going and we put a really good move together that culminates in Payney scoring the penalty.

“We came in at half-time in a good place and we really pushed the game.

“We had lots of chances but it’s small margins for us at the moment and it’s not going for us.”