On a blustery and wet day City made a trip to the Weston Homes Community Stadium, Colchester. City made only one change from the team that beat Nuneaton 4-0 with Stewart coming in for Dunne who dropped to the bench. That meant a back five of Marriott, Tully, Taylor, Seaborne and Golbourne. Russell sat in front of the defence with Harley, Cozic and Stewart in the middle leaving Fleetwood and Corr up front.

The game started with City playing into the wind and with a mass of water on the pitch making passes unpredictable and long balls even more so. City however had the advantage that a dinked ball over the Colchester defence would hold up in the wind and water and this lead to three excellent chances in the first five minutes, all falling to Fleetwood. The first saw Fleetwood through one on one through the middle and from 8 yards out he beat the keeper but agonisingly saw the ball come back of the post into the arms of the grateful Ben Williams.

The second chance saw Fleetwood in the middle of the goal receiving a square ball from Stewart, and one on one beat the keeper again but the defender cleared the ball. Finally after five minutes City got the lead they had threatened, a dink over the top from Stewart saw Fleetwood presented with a similar chance as the first and this time he made no mistake and City took a well deserved lead.

City continued in a similar fashion but with less obvious chances but were using the conditions to their advantage. Colchester were restricted to a few long range efforts and a series of corners that were well defended by City. Then against the run of play the equaliser came, a run from Tierney down the City right was tracked by Corr who slipped in a puddle. The resulting cross was met at the back post by the giant Platt who powered home the header from close range.

Ryan Harley had other ideas however and in added time at the end of the first half City were awarded a free kick to the left of the goal and about 25 yards out. Harley hit the ball right footed across the keeper and right into the top corner. It was unstoppable from the moment it left his boot and in the conditions it is a contender for goal of the season.

In the second half City were playing with the wind and the advantage of playing into it was with Colchester. A couple of early chances fell to the hosts with Platt not being able to get to a cross when a touch would have lead to a second equaliser.

The second half was more of an even affair with both midfields having passages of play but with very few clear cut chances. On the 70th minute Stansfield replaced Fleetwood and soon found himself through on the left hand side. With two City players in the middle ready to tap the ball home and seal all three points but the cross went to the keeper.

In the 85th minute the equaliser did come. From a City throw deep into the Colchester half the ball was won back and immediately played through to Platt. Platt held off Taylor from the half way line and ran through and finished well under pressure and from an angle.

However any thoughts Colchester had of winning the game were dashed when Elito went in late and high on Cozic and the referee had no hesitation in brandishing the red card to the substitute. But this was all too late for City to capitalise. A late Ryen Harley effort drifted wide but in truth was never threatening the goal.

So the match ended with a point a piece, which before the game City would probably have bitten your hand off for against high flying Colchester. But if truth be told they would probably be slightly disappointed they did not take all three after dominating the first half.

They players, management and fans should all take heart from this performance though. Clearly head and shoulders better than anything we have seen from the lads in Red and White all season and building nicely on the Brentford and Nuneaton games. Golbourne seems to be a real find for a team that has a recent habit of unearthing left backs. Marriot commanded his area well in tough conditions for a goal keeper. Russell sat in front of the back four well and went about his business efficiently and effectively.

Next up is a trip to Stockport on the 21st before a Tuesday night home game to Millwall. Two tough games for two different reasons but if City keep playing the way we did today then climbing the table is a certainty.