COLCHESTER United head coach John McGreal was disappointed they couldn't seal victory after they drew 1-1 with Spurs under-21s in the Leasing.com Trophy.

The U's missed out on a bonus point in Group A after losing 6-5 in a penalty shoot-out with Tottenham Hotspur's youngsters, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

The shoot-out came just a fortnight after the spot-kick drama between the same two clubs at the JobServe Community Stadium, in the Carabao Cup third round.

It had been a tightly-contested affair over the 90 minutes, with Luke Norris heading Colchester ahead just before half-time.

But Tashan Oakley-Boothe’s 76th-minute strike secured a draw for Spurs under-21s, before the visitors won the shoot-out.

McGreal was left frustrated Colchester could not hold out for victory, having led for much of the game which was played out in front of a crowd of 1,061.

McGreal, who made eight changes to his starting line-up for the game, said: “It’s disappointing not to win when you’re winning 1-0 and there’s only 12 or 13 minutes left.

“I just felt that we were in control even though they had the possession and I just thought that it was a poor goal to give away. “I think the players will be disappointed with it, coming out of pockets and with the shot.

“It’s a point with this competition how it is but when you’re winning the game and you’ve had the penalty shoot-out, we haven’t taken the opportunities."

Jevani Brown, Theo Robinson, Courtney Senior, Ryan Jackson and Tom Eastman, who missed a glorious chance to win the game for Colchester in stoppage-time, all successfully scored from the spot for the hosts, in the shoot-out.

But Norris, Noah Chilvers and Brandon Comley, who fired what proved to be the decisive final penalty wide, all missed their attempts to hand Spurs under-21s the bonus group point.

“The penalties were backwards and forwards," added McGreal.

“We had the opportunity to take the extra point but we didn’t take it and the penalties just summed the night up really.

“From where we have been recently forceful with our pens we didn’t do that but it’s a point and it’s all to play for.

“It was a great header to give us the lead but we often turned down the spaces to play into.

“When the space in behind is there you have to take it in there and we didn’t do it.”

In the other game in Group A to be played, Ipswich Town beat Gillingham 4-0.

It leaves Town a point clear of second-placed Colchester, heading into the final group between the two clubs on November 12.