The U's drew with Southampton - but showed fighting spirit on Boxing Day to show that their quest for safety will be wholehearted to say the least.

Carrying on from their second half resurgence at Queens Park Rangers, the U's showed the sort of battling qualities that will give them every chance of pulling clear of trouble if they can produce more of the same in the coming weeks.

There was a real zest about how the U's worked their way back into the match and the U's were not to be denied at least a draw as they scrapped every inch of the way with some wholehearted effort.

And their performance was typified by the sensational Dean Gerken.

The keeper had not had a particularly busy afternoon until the final quarter of the match, but pulled off three world class saves that had home and away fans alike applauding his athleticism.

So, whilst three points are always the requirement when on home turf, there will be plenty to have been taken from a U's perspective that will hearten the home support.

The U's made three changes to the side that started the defeat to QPR on Saturday.

Skipper Karl Duguid returned at right back in place of Bela Balogh, Luke Guttridge came in for the still injured Kem Izzet, while Kevin Lisbie was named up front instead of Teddy Sheringham.

The U's started off at a high paced, combative tempo so typical of last season's positive form at Layer Road and they were keen to get in amongst their opponents to break up the Saints rhythm.

They almost found themselves in front with seven minutes on the clock. Guttridge won the ball 30 yards from goal and poked one through to Lisbie.

The striker set himself with one touch just inside the box and although his shot beat the full length dive of Davis, it was not totally cleanly hit and it skipped past the far upright as well.

It was a rare chance in the opening exchanges as the match was being played at a frenetic pace and Surman found the speed of the game just a little too quick for him as he caught the turning Guttridge late and saw yellow for his troubles.

The game perhaps needed a midfielder from one of the two teams to put their foot on the ball, and Surman broke towards the U's goal on 18 minutes, only to find his exchange with Wright ended with little danger in the home team's area.

Wright-Phillips should perhaps have done better on 19 minutes though as he was slid through on goal and escaped the U's defence but, as he attempted to round Gerken, his touch was concrete heavy and the ball fizzed off for a goal kick.

They did better sixty seconds later though as the U's failed to heed that warning.

John escaped the defence this time, and it appeared that as Gerken rushed off his line, the striker had dragged his shot wide of the far post. However, Viafara had tracked the run of his team-mate and slotted home into the empty net.

The visitors were lifted further by their goal, stroking the ball around well and they were being assisted in some respects by the U's own nervousness - a Platt mistake sending Wright-Phillips away to blaze a shot wide.

The U's fans were attempting to stick with their team, but tempers flared on 25 minutes as a superb Yeates cross whipped across the face of goal, but no home player took a chance to get in on the end of it.

As they had at QPR four days earlier, the U's responded well to going behind, but failed to break down the opposition back line but were presented with a chance to do so when Lisbie was downed on the edge of the box on 34 minutes.

However, Jackson stepped up to take the free kick and, from the moment it left his boot, it was always going high wide and handsome over Davis' goal.

The home team did much better two minutes later as, having hunted the Saints down in packs and won the ball back, it came to McLeod 25 yards from goal and his shot on the angle flew just past the upright.

They repeated their battle on 38 minutes and it was a brave block from Davies on the edge of the box as Jackson seized on another loose ball to strike in a shot.

It was all Colchester in the dying stages of the half and Baldwin drove forward on 40 minutes to give the home team forward momentum and both Jackson and McLeod had shots blocked in the Saints area.

And Jackson came the closest yet right on the stroke of half time as the ball was dropped under pressure by Davis and the ball was struck by the U's midfielder toward goal.

It seemed destined to hit the back of the net, but Euell was on hand to block the shot and get it away to safety.

However, the U's got the goal their first half comeback efforts had deserved within 83 seconds of the restart.

Yeates swung a cross over to the far post, where McLeod directed his header back towards goal. Platt reacted first this time, and poked the ball under Davis and into the back of the net from close range.

The U's were still chasing the Saints in possession at times, but had the crowd responding as they chased the ball down with a hunger - McLeod winning a fine tackle in front of the dugouts to much acclaim.

The home team were defending well, Baldwin coming across to deny Euell with one fine interception, before Gerken pulled off a great save from Wright-Phillips at full stretch.

With the team now on parity with their opponents, the U's were playing with more conviction now and it took a good collect from Davis at a corner to deny McLeod his second in recent weeks.

At the other end, Baldwin was again the man in the right place at the right time with a crucial interception from Wright-Phillips' reverse pass to John inside the area.

It would be Wright-Phillips' last contribution to the game as he was replaced by Grzegorz Rasiak for the final half an hour.

The striker was right in the thick of the action straight away as he went for a deep cross into the area with Granville and Virgo, the latter of whom the visiting fans felt had handled the ball as the trio went up.

The U's defender fell to the ground after the challenge, with the referee having waved away penalty appeals from the irate Saints supporters and the clearly upset Viafara.

The U's made their first change not long afterwards, introducing Jamie Guy for Lisbie for the final quarter of the game.

The striker was outwitted in the corner by Viafara as the U's tried desperately to clear their lines amidst flying Southampton bodies, but the Saints man's cross was well intercepted by Gerken's low dive.

Guy then had an acrobatic effort easily saved by Davis, before tem-mate Guttridge went into the book for a foul where on another day he might have been deemed to have won the ball.

The U's were conceding a lot of free kicks around the edge of their box as the 70 minute mark arrived, though, and were defending manfully - if a little nervously - to keep the Saints at bay.

Rasiak joined Guttridge and Surman in the book on 75 minutes, for catching Granville as he went to clear the ball, and Jackson may have made it four if Safri had not opted to stay on his feet instead.

The final quarter of an hour of the game also saw Balogh introduced into the action, with Virgo going off after struggling to shake off an injury.

The nerves were starting to set in a little on the terraces as the game entered its business end, and there was a sharp intake of breath five minutes from the end as the ball arced towards Rasiak's head.

The Pole could not have made a cleaner connection with his header, but Gerken flung himself to the ball and made a sensational save to tip it over the bar.

The U's keeper did even better with a superb clawed save reminiscent of David Seaman's in the FA Cup all those years ago, as he denied Davies after Euell had flicked on.

He pulled off another save from the follow-up and although the ball was tucked home, the linesman's flag had gone up in the pervious phase of play.

The U's were not to be denied their point and McLeod typified the home team's spirit as he powered back some thirty yards to deny the Saints a break on goal with a fine tackle.

And the U's finished on the front foot as they finished with a series of corners, the first of which were won when Davis did well to lift a Jackson header over the bar.

The referee eventually let Southampton - who had had chances of their own - off the hook, as the final whistle blew amidst a growing crescendo from the home fans.