Substitute Sam Folarin scored one and made another as Harrogate came from behind to win 2-1 at struggling Colchester.
The hosts started well and Noah Chilvers’ first-time shot flashed just wide early on.
Colchester went close again when Chay Cooper’s effort was parried away by Mark Oxley for a corner, seconds after the youngster had been denied by the Harrogate goalkeeper’s diving save.
Oxley pushed Bradley Ihionvien’s header over the bar early in the second half before Colchester took a 62nd-minute lead when Cooper curled a delightful strike into the top corner from the edge of the area after being picked out by Cameron McGeehan.
But Harrogate needed less than three minutes to equalise, with Matt Daly finishing clinically from close range following Folarin’s pass.
McGeehan’s curled effort clipped the top of the bar for Colchester, but Harrogate scored the winner in the 80th minute when Folarin curled a brilliant shot into the top corner from the edge of the area after Levi Sutton’s blocked attempt had fallen into his path.