The U's made it three draws in succession on Saturday, as they shared a 1-1 result with a Liverpool XI.

Boss Geraint Williams had demanded more quality in the final third after the midweek draws with Cambridge and Chelmsford, and this was certainly a more complete Colchester display.

The Liverpool side were keen to keep the game at a tempo not dissimilar from Premier League reserve team games, but when the U's stepped up the pace, they were able to make in-roads towards the opposition goal.

The young opponents got an equaliser that their second half efforts deserved, but the Colchester management would have been pleased with the increased coherency in their performance.

Two more senior friendlies remain and things are coming together as the season approaches.

But it was from the other flank that the U's first chance came from as a deep Elokobi cross found the leap of Lisbie, but his header from distance went just wide.

The Reds had their first chance on nine minutes as Flynn found himself in space on the right of the box and drilled in a low shot that Gerken saved at full stretch.

At the other end, Lisbie was in the thick of the action once again on 13 minutes, first helping Platt win a loose ball and then when it came back in via McLeod, his nod down for his strike partner was just too strong for the U's record signing to get on the end of.

The Liverpool forwards were enjoying some long distance efforts, though, and after good work by Brouwer, Idrizaj saw his shot from range deflect off Connolly to force another good save out of Gerken.

The visitors were content to play at a reserve style tempo and Jackson too exception to that on 24 minutes, robbing his man in midfield and surging past two only to be denied at the last.

Three minutes later and the U's came the closest yet. Connolly was strong to win a header on the halfway line and it found its way to Lisbie.

Spinning on the turn, he lashed in a fantastic effort that went just over Hansen's far upright.

The U's were breathing a sigh of relief on the half hour mark, though, as the Reds came within inches of taking the lead.

The impressive El Zhar found space down the left and whipped over a cross that found Brouwer free in the box. With plenty of time to pick his spot, his diving header fizzed narrowly over the crossbar.

Yeates remained the main protagonist for the home team though, giving Darby down the left a thorough examination with some fleet footed ball play.

Colchester took the lead with eleven minutes of the first half remaining, after Yeates had won a corner.

The initial cross from Jackson was too long, but Elokobi set up McLeod to put the ball back into the danger area.

His fine cross was flicked towards goal by Lisbie, forcing a reaction save out of Hansen and Platt reacted quickest to stab home the loose ball.

The goal both enlivened the U's and knocked a previously confident Liverpool out of their stride.

So much so that Duguid was nearly on target to double the U's lead, sneaking in behind Darby but only able to toe poke his effort wide of the goal.

Two minutes later and Jackson was again alert to a loose ball as he strode up to the edge of the box, but Roque did just enough to get in the way of the U's man.

As the half was coming to a close, the U's went close again. Yeates collected the ball from a short free kick and sent over a cross that Platt couldn't quite direct on target as it dropped to him.

The U's had found their attacking verve now and Elokobi stormed down the left to send over a dangerous cross that just eluded Platt's leap and found Yeates at the far post.

He cut inside his man rather than hitting it first time and saw his low effort dropped by Hansen before it was hacked clear.

There was a nervous moment for the U's as the half came to a close though, as Putterill escaped down the left and sent over a low cross that needed Elokobi to tidy up as Brouwer poked a shot whilst prone on the ground.

The U's were finding space when stepping the game up to their own tempo and Lisbie nearly wriggled free early in the second half.

When the ball was not fully cleared from his run, the ball found Yeates on the far post and his mishit shot was blocked on the line.

Putterill was proving to be a thorn in the Colchester side and, on one mazy run twelve minutes into the second half, Duguid was disciplined for bringing him down - although in the spirit of friendlies, not booked.

The visitors really should have drawn level a minute later when Brouwer spurned another fantastic opportunity.

A long ball was drifted into the far post and Putterill returned the ball into the danger area.

Again Brouwer had time to set himself for the header and, as he looked to put it beyond the reach of Gerken, he saw his effort go wide from six yards out.

The Dutch youngster did much better after Idrizaj got in down the Colchester right, striking a shot that was on target but at a good height for Gerken to save excellently.

At the other end, the U's had a corner and With Jackson delivering dangerous set pieces, Elokobi was unfortunate to see it just hit his foot before he could really strike the ball.

Connolly then had to be on his toes to block well from Spearing, after the midfielder contrived space to shoot on the edge of the box.

The Arsenal loanee was putting in his best display of pre-season as he held together the back line alongside Baldwin.

The Reds did come close on 69 minutes, though, as a ball from a corner dropped to Roque and his driven shot was turned superbly wide by Gerken.

The Spaniard did much better with 18 minutes to go though, turning home a fine half volley from just behind him to power past Gerken.

The U's had the ball in the back of the net three minutes later as Connolly carried on forward after a one two to tuck home, but the linesman's flag was up well before he scored.

The Reds were perked up by their goal, though, as Huth drove forward and smacked a shot that went just wide of the target.

The young visitors were finishing strongly and Granville felt the full force of that not long after coming on.

He was shoulder barged to the ground by Idrizaj but the linesman played on, allowing the Reds man to cross low. Baldwin was on hand, though, to clear over the bar.

U's: Gerken, Duguid, Baldwin, Connolly, Elokobi (Granville 83), Yeates, Jackson, Izzet (Guttridge 72), McLeod (White 78), Lisbie (Guy 72), Platt