Sean tries to pinpoint problem areas

While the financial situation remains perilous, an easy excuse is ready-made with the depleted squad shouldering a string of injuries at the moment and of course the loss of Carl Fletcher.

But that seems too easy. The work ethic that is normally taken for granted whenever they take the field has not altered.

Going forward, despite the misguided impatience of a minority of home supporters, the passing build-up remains careful as the possession football aims to carve out the opportunities.

Defensively, with Eddie Howe marshalling his team-mates, for the most part they look composed and assured.

But this third successive defeat saw them pay for a few moments of uncertainty against a vibrant Colchester side who gained control early in the piece, briefly handed back the initiative, but were ultimately full value for their victory.

Sean O'Driscoll's side included Playershare-aided loan signing John Spicer - recruited from Premiership champions Arsenal - in place of Marcus Browning whose on-going groin problem meant he was only fit enough for a place on the bench.

Spicer, meanwhile, showed real culture and assurance in possession and gave an insight that he will be a useful temporary addition to the ranks.

Karl Broadhurst assumed the captain's armband in Browning's absence as the void left by the enforced sale of their ex-skipper continues to cause Cherries problems.

But O'Driscoll's men ignored their off-field worries and started with real purpose in this contest. Their excellent early high tempo caused the visiting defence some tricky moments and it seemed as though an early goal would appear in no time.

The fit-again Dani Rodrigues skipped cleverly past perennial pantomime villain Sam Stockley but the Portuguese striker's dangerous right-wing cross was hooked away to safety.

Warren Cummings volleyed a speculative effort over the crossbar shortly afterwards as Cherries zipped some crisp one and two-touch passes as they threatened to overwhelm their opponents.

But as the visitors settled, it was Neil Moss picking the ball out of his net with Colchester's first real effort at his goal.

Craig Fagan latched on to ex-Cherries loanee Gareth Williams' pass, held off Howe's challenge and produced an artful lob to defeat a stranded Moss.

Cherries almost replied instantly as Brian Stock's daisycutter whistled past the upright and rippled the back of the net. Sadly it was the wrong side from Cherries fans' perspective, although some were fooled into thinking that the midfielder had levelled.

Midway through the half, arguably the pivotal moment of the match left O'Driscoll's men facing what proved to be an insurmountable task as they came agonisingly close to an equaliser and then instantly found themselves two goals adrift.

Garreth O'Connor, in his most accomplished all-round performance for some time, broke past a couple of tackles in the penalty box and was denied by a superb last-ditch challenge from United skipper Wayne Brown as the Irishman looked certain to score.

The hammer blow came immediately as Colchester countered with real pace to double their lead through Williams.

The striker broke in the left channel, switched play to Fagan who returned the compliment with a pinpoint cross for Williams to comfortably nod past Moss' flailing dive.

O'Driscoll was critical in the post-match press conference of his team's defending. He said: "Defensively in the first half we were all over the place. We sorted it at half-time and we have done this a lot at this stadium where we struggle in the first half and blitz teams second half. We didn't get away with it this time."

Williams's effort, against the team he made one brief substitute appearance for in his month's loan spell last season, appeared to knock the last remnants of confidence from his former team-mates as a blocked Stock free-kick was the sum of their attacking efforts for the remainder of the half.

A tactical switch to wing-backs and the introduction of Browning gave Cherries the ascendancy in the second period as they attacked their favoured end of the ground with yet another difficult situation to rectify.

O'Connor again was at the hub of most of their better moments as another powerful run and shot was bravely denied by Brown when ex-Northern Ireland goalkeeper Aidan Davison looked set for his first work of the afternoon.

But the ball spun out wide to Spicer whose delicate angled chip beat the keeper but rebounded back off to safety from the crossbar.

With Colchester struggling to cope with Cherries' adjusted formation, O'Connor fed Stock on the edge of the box but he dragged the effort wide.

Even the normally reliable James Hayter was having difficulty getting his side back in the game as his low shot was well saved by Davison and later hit a tame effort straight at the keeper.

With a comeback looking decidely unlikely, Cherries were handed a lifeline 15 minutes from time as Cummings made good progress down the left to supply an inviting centre across the face of goal.

Alan Connell, on as a substitute, looked certain to halve the arrears as he slid in at the far post, but Stockley beat him to it and bundled into his own net as he attempted to clear. Connell, as all good strikers do, laid claim to it for merely being in the same postcode.

With hopes rekindled of another daring fightback, the volume in the ground increased and the urgency cranked up a few notches on the decibel level.

But before Cherries could create another effort at goal, Colchester sealed the points as Ben May directed a fine header high beyond Moss into the top corner from Stockley's cross.

With a difficult away trip to Hillsborough next on the agenda for O'Driscoll's men, the side will need to show some real strength of character to plot their way through this difficult period for the club.