WITHOUT Nathan Thompson and having seen Jordan Turnbull struggle to adapt to life at left-back, Mark Cooper opted to go back to 3-5-2 against Colchester.

However, instead of picking more orthodox defensive wing-backs, he chose Henrik Ojamaa and Fabien Robert. Perhaps this was a reaction to the criticisms of his side last week, where they lacked imagination against a stodgy Burton.

The obvious drawback of such a tactic was leaving yourself exposed from wide areas. It is unlikely given Colchester do not have the budget to employ spies, but the U’s opening goal came almost as if they had been keeping an eye on Town’s match preparation.

Matthew Briggs came bursting down the left, leaving Ojamaa trundling behind him. Callum Harriott found the full-back with a well-weighted pass, leaving Briggs to cut back for George Moncur to score.

Ojamaa was one of a number of Town players who lacked defensive desire, but perhaps the folly was in asking him to do a job he is not especially suited for.

Whether it is fitness or physicality, the Estonian does not seem blessed with the pace to play wing-back. Too often he was stranded upfield and left right-sided centre back Raphael Branco exposed against the dangerous Harriott.

Branco and Ojamaa were at fault for the U’s second too. Ojamaa did not get out to close Harriott down quick enough and Branco was pulled out of his defensive shape then left stranded as Colchester’s neat passing allowed the winger to use his pace to get free.

The formation also stunted the ability of Robert to do what he does best in the attacking third. The Frenchman works hard for the team and is surprisingly willing to muck in at the back for a player of such obvious attacking talents.

However Robert’s starting position meant he was picking up the ball too deep to make an impact around the U’s box and while his intelligent passing did release some of Town’s better passages his goal threat was severely diminished.

Robert finally was given the attacking midfield role for which he is best suited in the second half, but then Cooper opted to replace him with Jeremy Balmy before he could make an impact.

It was the second of the manager’s odd substitutions, as he had brought on James Brophy for Yaser Kasim, despite the Iraqi enjoying one of his best games for Town in some time.