Col U 1 Leicester 1

U`s held at home by Foxes

Saturdaay, 3rd November Att:5,661

Colchester United 1-1 Leicester City

Steven Green at Layer Road.

Johnnie Jackson`s first goal of the season salvaged a hard earned point for Colchester against an organised Leicester side as the Sky cameras were at Layer Road.

Jackson cancelled out Collins John`s earlier opener for the visitor`s as the game finished in a 1-1 draw, a result both managers can find fault with.

The U`s veteran midfield lynchpin Kevin Watson made his much-anticipated return from injury in central midfield, with goal hero Johnnie Jackson moving to a wide left position.

With Cameroonian George Elokobi chalking up a poor showing last week in the miserable 1-0 defeat to Coventry, he was submitted to a place on the bench; veteran winger Danny Granville droped back to his more orthodox full-back position.

Rookie keeper` Dean Gerkin replaced Aiden Davison who had a shoulder injury.

Collins John, on-loan from Premier League outfit Fulham, came into the visitors starting XI following him being cup-tied in the midweek Carling Cup defeat to Chelsea.

Fellow front-man DJ Campbell was recalled to line-up after starting on the bench in the last game.

The two recalled strikers combined early on to make the opening goal. Campbell, lively throughout, turned U`s centre-half Pat Baldwin and his low fizzing cross was tucked home by Collins John from close range going under Gerkin.

A while later, a ball through towards John caused chaos as Gerkin came to claim it and it rebounded off U`s defender Matthew Connelly into the path of John, but Connelly atoned for his error and made up ground to block the Dutchman`s goal-bound effort that was heading into the gapping goal.

The home side then started to take control; left-back Granville`s ferocious long-range effort was saved well by Foxes’ gaolie Marton Fulop, who pushed the ball away to his right post.

With half-time just around the corner, Irish wing sensation Mark Yeates cut inside from the right flank and angled a ball across was met by the on-rushing Jackson who ghosted in to head it down past Fulop, this his first goal since March.

The levelling goal ironically was centred in Tottenham, as it was a former Spurs player in Yeates, who crossed it and another, in Jackson, who scored it; the third, who couldn`t save it, was Fulop!

This proved once again what a funny old game football is.

In the second-half there were a lot chances, but no-one could do quite enough to get a winner. Yeates` curling effort from just outside the 18yd box was the closest the hosts came to scoring.

Alan Sheehan, Bruno N`gotty and Matty Fryatt had efforts too – the trio all going close in the last-quarter-of-an-hour.

It was not the kind of game that Sky would class as ‘a great advert’ for the Championship: a good point, but not well made, for the U’s.