The U's third ever league encounter with Leicester City ended with a third draw as Johnnie Jackson's goal earned the home team a point after falling behind early on.

The fireworks were going off around Layer Road as the match progressed, but the U's were unable to offer explosive football of their own as they sought a third home victory of their own.

In fits and starts, they got going, but they came up against a resolute Foxes side who showed why they had the best defence in the division.

And whilst the home team had their nervous moments in the back, the boys defended more strongly this time around, with Matt Connolly outstanding at the back.

The U's made two changes to their starting eleven as boss Geraint Williams reshuffled the pack for the game against the Foxes.

Dean Gerken replaced the injured Aidan Davison, whilst Kevin Watson came in for George Elokobi for his first start of the season, with Danny Granville going to left back and Johnnie Jackson left wing to accommodate the change.

The U's started on the front foot, with Watson immediately in the thick of the action.

He laid a first time pass out to Mark Yeates, who came up against Alan Sheehan down the Leicester left. He cut inside his man - after being temporarily held up and was unfortunate to drag his shot wide of the near post.

The U's were positive in those early exchanges, whilst wary of the counter attack with the pace of Matty Fryatt causing worries when the home team did lose the ball.

The visiting defence were in trouble with six minutes on the clock as Yeates and Duguid combined well for the U's skipper to send over a dangerous cross.

First Platt, then Lisbie and finally Izzet all attempted to work the ball into a shooting position, before the U's midfielder saw his effort blocked at the edge of the box.

The visitors went down the other end and opened the scoring on seven minutes. DJ Campbell played a low cross into the box after making space for himself, and Collins John made no mistake as he swept home.

The goal had taken the wind out of U's sails - both on and off the pitch - and the Leicester players were first to most of the loose balls as they took hold of the game.

The U's were trying to get back in the game and the ref waved a good play on that sent Platt in through the middle.

He muscled his way past Kisnorbo, but Fulop just snatched the ball off his toes as he entered the box, the U's fans calling for a penalty as the Colchester striker tumbled.

It was the officials' decisions that were livening up the U's fans rather than the action on the pitch, although Yeates had a brief sight of goal midway through the half with the door shut as soon as it was opened.

The visitors broke down the other end with goalscorer John causing the danger. He eluded the tackle of Gerken and seemed certain to score before Connolly stuck out a toe just at the right moment.

The U's were looking nervous and lacking their usual verve and with City organised at the back, it was a quiet Layer Road that saw their side trying to find the key to unlock the visiting defence.

Sheehan was the first man in the book with 28 minutes on the clock and, after having pulled his opponent back on a couple of occasions, the third was one too many for the referee who showed a yellow to the man in yellow.

The U's did break through the visiting back line with 33 minutes gone, Lisbie bundling his way past his man and firing in a shot that looked on target until Kenton diverted it away with a head.

That gave the home team a taste of more to come and a good move two minutes later saw the ball set back for Granville and, for the second time of the game, he opted to shoot with Fulop turning it away with an acrobatic save.

The second balls were now falling Colchester's way, and Yeates and Duguid combined well on 37 minutes with the U's skipper's miscued cross going not too far wide of the goal with Fulop wrong footed.

The visitors still had their dangermen though, none more so than the pacey Fryatt, who drilled in a low shot on 39 minutes that skipped past the post with Gerken scrambling across.

Campbell then took his chance spotting an opportunity to shoot from distance which swerved just over the bar as Gerken went the other way.

The U's had had a disappointing first half, but went into the break all square as they finally opened up a resolute City defence.

Again it was Yeates in the thick of it, he cut in from the left and drifted over a delicate cross to the far post, where the U's other winger Jackson buried a low header that just sneaked past Fulop at the foot of the post.

Yeates almost put the U's in front two minutes after the restart. Platt knocked down to Lisbie, who helped it onto the Irishman whose curled shot went just wide of the post.

The home team had started the second half far more brightly, but were thankful for Gerken's header on the edge of the box after John had burst through the U's back line.

The U's were bossing possession and almost took the lead eight minutes after half time as a spell of pinball football in the Leicester box could have seen the ball go anywhere.

The improved performance had the fans livened up at last and the home supporters again almost had something to talk about as Connolly's shot took another wicked deflection off Lisbie and dropped just over the bar.

But the visitors came close to regaining the lead themselves as they escaped the U's offside trap and a low cross across the face of goal eluded all outstretched legs with Duguid slicing clear.

The corner was eventually returned with interest into the area and Fryatt's shot was deflected behind by a last ditch block by Connolly. The Foxes were right back in the game.

Granville was pushing forward well from his left back position, and he sent over two dangerous crosses just after the hour mark with Sheehan and N'Gotty defending exceptionally well to get the ball away.

At the other end, Fryatt escaped the attentions of his man to set up Stearman and as the midfielder set himself for the shot, he curled his effort only inches wide.

There was sad news for the U's on 63 minutes though, as Watson hobbled off with what worryingly looked like a recurrence of his ankle injury - Kevin McLeod came on.

The visitors also made their first change of the game as they introduced midweek goalscorer Carl Cort in place of Collins John.

The U's then saw Lisbie hobble off and only brilliant defending from Connolly stopped Cort heading home a free kick whilst the U's were temporarily down to ten men.

The visitors then had a fantastic chance to regain the lead on 69 minutes, with N'Gotty sneaking in on the far side, only to drag his shot wide of the near post when well placed.

The U's needed to lift themselves again after the loss of Watson, and began to force the agenda with a series of corners with fifteen minutes left.

Fryatt again caused problems as he spun on the edge of the box and fired in a low shot that Gerken saved well down to his left.

Cort was in on the follow up, only to completely miss his shot, but had his blushes spared as the linesman's flag went up as he bore down on the loose ball.

City made their second change with eleven minutes remaining with Shaun Newton coming on for DJ Campbell, with the visitors beginning to shut up shop.

That said, the visitors were finishing the stronger as the game entered its final stages.

And they came within inches of taking the lead with just four minutes left, free kick specialist Sheehan curling only inches wide.

Jackson then burst forwards and laid the ball forwards to Lisbie who saw the linesman's flag go up just as the striker went to shoot.

Yeates fared better as he cut in from the right and smashed in a low left footed shot, Fulop getting down sharply to save in the middle of the goal as it zipped off the wet turf.

Att: 5,661