Colchester interim boss Wayne Brown praised ex-Blues keeper Shamal George for his part in helping the home side beat Carlisle United.

Brown also said his team responded well when Carlise's first-half performance inevitably faded after the break.

Callum Harriott's two goals overturned Jon Mellish's opener and earned Colchester their first win in 15 games.

The fightback came after former United loanee George tipped a Joe Riley shot onto the post.

“We had a couple of good opportunities and a couple of one of ones which we should have put away but just before we scored the second goal, Sham makes a fantastic save and that’s as good as a goal, a save like that," Brown said.

“We then managed to go on and get the three points so the lads were great.

"The game did open up and get stretched, as inevitably it would.

"They [Carlisle] couldn't keep the tempo up that they showed in the first half, that was always going to fade."

United were on top until the penalty that got Colchester level.

Harriott converted that, before firing another goal seven minutes later.

Brown said of the game: “We had to weather the storm as such and we knew that they were going to come out of the blocks - they’ve blown teams away this season in the first 20 to 25 minutes of games and found themselves a couple of goals up.

“We knew that it was going to be a tough shift in the first half but I thought the lads showed a lot of character being 1-0 down, and it’s the first time this season I think that they’ve been behind and managed to win the game of football.

“It’s really pleasing but what pleased me more was the second half performance when the game opened up.

“We then had a little bit of character and confidence to pass the ball and we used the width really well and had runners without the ball, which is massive.

"We're here to win football matches and if you find yourself 1-0 down, you've got to do everything you can to win the game of football.

"We made a couple of changes which helped to generate those chances that they came along in the second half.

"I'm just pleased for the lads, because it's a horrible game when you're on that run of 13 or 14 games without a win."

Mellish's 13th of the season on 29 minutes, following a Brennan Dickenson corner, had seemed to put United in control.

Brown added: "It's frustrating to concede from another set play but you've also got to give them credit in the fact that that's what they play for - that's their game.

"They play for corners, free-kicks, long throws and you're getting bombarded in the box - we always knew that was going to happen.

"Yes it was disappointing to concede like that, but the way we brushed ourselves down and went again in the second half was pleasing."