Leeds United threw away victory at Colchester and dropped into the bottom three once again.

Eddie Lewis put Leeds in front in the 53rd minute as Leeds dominated a scrappy game but ex-York City trialist Chris Iwelumo headed the equaliser with ten minutes to go and Jamie Cureton grabbed the winner in injury-time.

Worse was to follow with the news that skipper Jonathan Douglas was given a straight red card after the game and will now miss three of the last five matches.

Other results went against Leeds. Barnsley toppled promotion-chasing Birmingham to climb out of the relegation zone, two points ahead of Leeds. Southend also won at Preston to move level with Leeds on 42 points. There were also victories for Burnley against Cardiff and QPR against bottom club Luton.

Manager Dennis Wise was seething afterwards. He fumed: "We conceded two poor goals from set-plays. We ask them to do their jobs and be in a certain place but they didn't do it and paid the price.

"We were comfortable. We had the best chances in the first-half and comfortable in the second and had a mad ten minutes when there wasn't really a problem."

Wise rung the changes from the side that beat Plymouth on Saturday. Tresor Kandol came in for Richard Cresswell, Robbie Blake dropped to the bench, allowing Alan Thompson to start, and Rui Marques replaced the injured Frazer Richardson.

Both sides struggled to get any rhythm in the first-half with a lot of long-ball football giving neither goalkeeper much to bother about.

Colchester had chances at the start and finish of the opening session, Richard Garcia heading over while Matt Heath was off the pitch with a bloody nose and Cureton firing a free-kick into the crowd.

Leeds made more chances, with both Kandol and David Healy shooting over the bar from close range.

Leeds continued to be the better side after the break with Casper Ankegren having little to do, but there was a touch of good fortune when they went in front. Lewis got a good bounce before drilling the ball past 21-year-old Dean Gerken, who should have done better.

It should have been comfortable for Leeds against lacklustre Colchester but ten minutes from time they conceded a silly free-kick from which Iwelumo headed the equaliser.

And with time running out, another Colchester free-kick went into the box, Cureton controlled it and drove home his 22nd goal of the season.


Leeds match facts

Coca-Cola ChampionshipColchester 2, Leeds United 1 (at Layer Road)Colchester: Gerken, Duguid, Baldwin, Brown, Barker, Garcia (Guy 69), Watson (Ephraim 58), Izzet, Jackson, Iwelumo, Cureton. Subs (not used): Davison, White, McLeod. Goals: Iwelumo 82, Cureton 90.

Leeds United: Ankergren, Rui Marques, Heath, Michalik, Gray, Douglas, Kishishev, Thompson, Lewis, Healy (Blake 89), Kandol. Subs: Robbie Elliott, Foxe, Moore, Stack. Sent off: Douglas. Goal: Lewis 53.

Referee: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire).

Attendance: 5,916.