Richard Logan was the hero once again as he came off the bench to score a late equaliser for the Grecians as they got off the mark at The Park.

Ryan Harley had given City the dream start on their new pitch after just five minutes from the penalty spot but two in two minutes from Anthony Wordsworth swung the game in the away side's favour.

But Logan had the last say when he poked home from close range.

Paul Tisdale gave home debuts to David Noble, John O'Flynn and Daniel Nardiello in a 5-3-2 formation and it was the latter whose direct running created the game's opening goal in the August sunshine.

 Winning the ball off electric-blond midfielder David Perkins, Nardiello raced into the box before being tripped by Perkins and referee Phil Gibbs pointed to the penalty spot. Harley made no mistake with a spot-kick high into the top corner in front of the Big Bank, now significantly closer to the action since the pitch move.

Just a minute later City almost gave themselves a two goal lead when Liam Sercombe headed Harley's corner wide as the frantic start continued.

Then with the next move of the match Colchester carved out a high-quality equaliser, Brian Wilson's pin-point cross was met by the head of Wordsworth who directed a text-book headed into the top corner past a static Paul Jones.

Colchester had the wind up them and bombed forward again but the move was halted by Matt Taylor's foul. Up stepped Wordsworth, who scored 11 last season, and fired a left-footed free kick through the City wall and low into Jones' right-hand corner. Paul Tisdale talked of his displeasure after the match at the wall's inability to stop Wordsworth's effort that went through them while Taylor was angry at the referee's decision to award the free kick for his tackle on Kayode Odejayi.

His side seemed almost shell-shocked and almost fell 3-1 behind when a pull back was smashed towards goal by Ian Henderson only for the reactions of Jones to keep it out.

This was an incredibly open half and Colchester had a chance at the back post before a great move almost saw City draw level. Scott Golbourne and Harley combined superbly down the left flank, and City's number seven pulled the ball back to Liam Sercombe inside the box but the ball deflected just wide of the diving Mark Cousins.

Welsh international Nardiello was a real threat throughout and he had a penalty appeal waved down before his header from Golbourne's cross landed on top of the goal.

The home side continued to put together some enterprising football with Golbourne and Harley linking up particularly well. But the failure of Jones' defensive wall almost handed Wordsworth a first half hat-trick. His swerving free-kick flew through the line-up of Grecians and had to be tipped over the bar by City's number 27.

The final chance of the first half saw Harley's daisy cutter cause problems for Cousins but the shot stopper collected the ball at the second attempt with O'Flynn and Nardiello closing in.

The early stages of the second half saw John Ward's side trying to kill off the game, like any quality side would do 2-1 up away from home. And this meant 15/20 minutes of little action at either end, Steve Tully's heavily bruised ankle the only real talking point.

Tully managed to re-enter the action but after the match Tisdale described his ankle as 'black and blue' and he could be a doubt for Tuesday's Carling Cup tie at The Park.

Noble managed 90 minutes on his first competitive start for well over a year and he found Harley on the byline with a smart pass but Golbourne could only hammer the ball over the bar from Harley's pass.

The offside flag twice denied O'Flynn before the Irishman was replaced by Jamie Cureton on 68 minutes. But it was his strike-partner Nardiello who came very close to opening his City account when he connected with Tully's right footed cross but Wilson did well to get his body in the way.

Tully was then withdrawn for another debutant Jake Thomson and Logan, a player far more familiar to City fans, was introduced for Nardiello.

Cousins then had to be at full stretch to keep out a low effort from Harley after Cureton's pass before City's ginger playmaker put Golbourne into space with a great pass but Exeter's number 11 saw his shot fly over the bar.

Just when it looked like City were running out of time that man Logan popped up yet again with a vital goal after a Harley shot bobbled into his path. The striker, who admitted afterward he was at anything but full fitness after a groin injury, fired a right-footed shot into the net from close range. Despite offside appeals the goal was given and the fan's favourite even received a high-five from his manager during his celebrations.

The pair could have been celebrating again shortly after when Cureton clipped a cross to the far post and Logan just couldn't stretch enough to meet it and he could have scored a dramatic winner in added time.

Golbourne swung in a cross from the left-flank and Thomson headed over the bar when Logan was ready to pounce at the back-post.

But all-in-all this was probably a deserved point for the Grecians against a team expected to challenge for promotion. Importantly the Grecians are off the mark for the season and the new-look side has another chance to gel on Tuesday night when Roy Keane brings his Ipswich Town side to The Park.

Ant Moxey's match reports will return for the Bristol Rovers match on 21st August