Colchester United experienced a night to forget after they were thrashed 6-0 by in-form Chesterfield tonight.

Three goals in either half from the rampant Spireites left the U's on the wrong end of a heavy defeat at the Probet Stadium.

Colchester made a bright start and almost went ahead in the fourth minute when Gavin Massey’s low drive was pushed away by diving Chesterfield keeper Tommy Lee.

But the in-form Spireites went ahead in the sixth minute when former Ipswich Town attacker Gary Roberts blasted home after Drew Talbot had been given far too much time and space on the U’s right to pick him out in the area.

The U's fell further behind in the 16th minute when Sam Clucas swept past Lewington from close range after Dan Gardner had found more space down the U’s right and provided the assist.

And less than a minute had elapsed when Colchester conceded a third goal, with Clucas calmly lifting the ball past the on-rushing Chris Lewington after Jimmy Ryan’s pass had split the visitors’ defence.

The U’s were left shell-shocked but skipper Alex Gilbey was unlucky not to pull a goal back just after the half hour with a low shot that was pushed away by keeper Lee.

But that was a rare bright spot in an otherwise forgettable first half for Colchester, who looked short of confidence.

The U’s miserable first half was compounded three minutes before the break when Chris Porter squandered a gilt-edged opportunity, shooting straight at the on-rushing Lee after being found by skipper Gilbey.

And Lewington denied Clucas a first-half hat-trick when he pushed away his powerful effort just before half-time but the U’s went in trailing at the break.

Colchester made a triple substitution at the break, bringing on Rhys Healey, Sammie Szmodics and Richard Brindley for Jacob Murphy, Tom Lapslie and Alex Wynter.

But the vibrant Spireites were denied a fourth goal when Tom Eastman cleared Gardner’s goalbound effort off the line.

And it was 4-0 just before the hour when Gardner’s shot from more than 20 yards squirmed past Lewington.

Colchester’s woes worsened two minutes later when Ryan latched onto Roberts’ pass and dinked a shot over Lewington, for Chesterfield’s fifth.

Lewington made a good save to push away Roberts’ curling effort and Bongani Khumalo did well to block substitute Gboly Ariyibi’s shot before Roberts scored Chesterfield’s sixth goal from the spot after he had been brought down by Lewington in the area, to compound a thoroughly miserable evening for the U’s.

For a full match report and pictures from the U's game at Chesterfield, see Wednesday's Daily Gazette.