Colchester United suffered penalty heartache after losing a shoot-out to go out of the Carabao Cup in dramatic fashion.

The U’s were beaten 6-5 on spot-kicks, having roared back from 2-0 down to level at 2-2 after 90 minutes and take the first-round tie to penalties at Whaddon Road.

It means Colchester's wait for a League Cup win goes on, with their last victory in the competition back in 2010.

But they will be pleased with the character they showed to get back into the tie, having looked down and out in the game.

Colchester head coach John McGreal made five changes to his side for their game at Cheltenham.

Brandon Comley, Luke Norris and Mikael Mandron were handed their first starts of the season, while Aaron Collins and Tom Eastman were both recalled to the starting line-up.

It was Norris’s debut, following his switch from Swindon Town earlier this summer.

Luke Prosser, Sammie Szmodics and Frank Nouble were all on the bench, while Kane Vincent-Young and Tom Lapslie also dropped out.

Harry Pell, back at the club he left for Colchester earlier this summer, skippered the U’s on his return to his former side.

Colchester had been looking to make a solid start to the tie.

But they found themselves behind after just 47 seconds when Frankie Kent’s scuffed clearance inside his own area allowed Ryan Broom to collect possession and sweep past goalkeeper Dillon Barnes.

It was a terrible start for the U’s, who looked more nervous in their own area in those opening seconds than they had in their previous two league matches combined.

Colchester took time to settle into the tie after the shock of conceding, struggling to keep possession or build any tempo in the opening stages.

But they registered their first meaningful effort after 15 minutes when Courtney Senior sent a low cross-shot just wide of the far post, after being sent through by Ryan Jackson.

However, Cheltenham almost doubled their lead a few seconds later when Alex Addai found room in the U’s area but with keeper Barnes advancing, lifted a shot onto the roof of the net.

Broom side-footed a low shot straight at Barnes midway through the half before Colchester enjoyed their best spell of pressure of the first half just after the half hour, with Collins curling a free-kick onto the roof of the net and Norris nodding wide from close range.

The U’s started the second half well and came close to an equaliser in the 57th minute through Norris, whose spectacular overhead kick flashed inches wide of the far post from Jackson’s cross into the area.

But Cheltenham almost doubled their lead on the hour through Addai, who wastefully dragged a low shot wide in the area after being fed by Jordon Maddox.

Colchester made a double change midway through the second half, sending on Sammie Szmodics and Frank Nouble for Collins and Mandron as they hunted for an equaliser.

But they were left with a mountain to climb when they fell further behind with 20 minutes remaining.

After Barnes had brought down Maddox in the area, Conor Thomas slotted home from the spot.

Colchester looked down and out at that stage but when Szmodics finished neatly to pull a goal back after Pell had charged down a clearance, it was game on.

And less than 60 seconds later, Norris’s 25-yard effort flew past Flinders to level things up.

The tie went to penalties but after both sides hit the net regularly from the spot, Senior blasted over as Colchester lost 6-5 in the shoot-out to bow out.

COLCHESTER UNITED: D Barnes, Jackson, Eastman, Kent, Dickenson, Comley, Pell, Senior, Norris, Collins (sub Szmodics, 67), Mandron (sub Nouble, 67).

Substitutes: Prosser, A Barnes, Wright, Gondoh, Vose.

U’s man of the match: Luke Norris.

Cheltenham Town: Flinders, Mullins, Atangana, Thomas, Broom, Boyle, Addai (sub Lloyd, 76), Debayo, Maddox (sub Smith, 74), Forster, Kalala.

Substitutes: Tozer, Dawson, McAlinden, Baldwin, Lovett.

Referee: Christopher Sarginson (Staffordshire).

Goals: Colchester United: Szmodics (79), Norris (80). Cheltenham Town: Broom (1), Thomas (71).

Bookings: Colchester United: Comley (foul, 42), Senior (foul, 48). Cheltenham Town: Boyle (foul, 30), Forster (unsporting behaviour, 51), Thomas (foul, 55).

Attendance: 1,179 (132 U’s fans).