The U’s slipped into the League Two relegation places following a frustrating 3-1 defeat at the JobServe Community Stadium, despite Cowley feeling they had enjoyed good spells and created opportunities.

Colchester recovered from conceding what their head coach described as a “really poor” opening goal when Declan Skura netted in the third minute, with Jack Payne equalising from the penalty spot.

But Walsall struck twice late on through Aaron Pressley and substitute Courtney Clarke to condemn the U’s to their first home loss of the season and leave Cowley frustrated by the fine margins continuing to go against his team.

“We’re disappointed, because we lose our home record, our first loss here,” said Cowley.

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

“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.

“It was a really, really poor goal for us.”

Thanks - Colchester United midfielder Jay Williams applauds the U's fans after the Walsall defeat (Image: Richard Blaxall)

Colchester did respond and thought they had levelled when Sean Raggett headed home a well-worked corner, only for the effort to be disallowed, with Leon Chiwome adjudged to be in an offside position in front of Walsall keeper, Jed Ward.

Cowley said: “I’ve just seen it like you guys so I don’t know, but it was a really well-worked corner.

“We got Rags free round the back, a really good header and it’s small margins at the moment; it’s not going for us.”

Colchester eventually drew level through Payne’s penalty and Cowley felt his side went into the interval in a positive position.

“We restricted them to only two touches in our box in the first half,” he said.

“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 Moses [Sesay] getting brought down and Payney scoring the penalty.

“Good on Payney, because he’s practised them every single day, forever.

“We came in at half-time in a good place in the game.”

Cowley felt Colchester carried that momentum into the second half but rued their failure to capitalise before Walsall regained the lead.

Big moment - Sean Raggett heads home for Colchester United in the first half against Walsall only for the goal to be disallowed for offside against Leon Chiwome (Image: Richard Blaxall)

And he was particularly unhappy with the way his team defended the decisive moments.

“We had chances but we have to be ruthless in that period and then we concede again,” he said.

“We have to be stronger and more physical in that moment and not get knocked around so easily, because they’re big moments.

“The reality is that we’re coming up short in the detail.

“People are going to keep saying it’s small margins and we’re getting on the wrong side of it but I’m not a valiant loser.

“I’m not interested in that; I want us to do the detail well and get on the right side of it.

“When the game gets tough and push comes to shove, I want to see us get forward and not step back.”

Adding to Colchester’s concerns was an injury to Leon Chiwome, who was forced off at half-time with a hamstring problem on his first league start for the club.

“We obviously had the disappointment at half-time of Leon Chiwome feeling his hamstring,” said Cowley.

“He really wanted to carry on but he came out and he just wasn’t right.

“The last thing we wanted to do is make it worse, because I thought he was great.

“I thought he gave us a real platform to play from. He ran and pressed and chased and just gave it everything he had.

“I thought that inspired the group, so to lose him was tough.”