Colchester United were held to a 1-1 draw by Cheltenham Town, a result that stretches their winless run to four matches in League Two. Moses Sesay's 66th-minute opener was cancelled out by Andreas Weimann's penalty before substitute Jaden Williams was sent off late on.
Danny Cowley's side now sit 15th in the standings with nine points from their opening seven games. They are six points behind the early leaders, Barnet. The late drama means Colchester have taken just two points from their last four outings, a sequence that includes draws with Crewe and Cheltenham and defeats to Swindon and Bristol Rovers.
The first half was a competitive but scrappy affair with few clear chances. Harry Anderson went down under a challenge inside the area early on but referee Alan Young waved away the penalty claims. Colchester's best opportunity before the break fell to John-Joe O'Toole, who was denied by Cheltenham goalkeeper Owen Evans.
The game sparked into life after the interval. Sesay broke from midfield, exchanged passes with Ellis Iandolo, and finished coolly to put the U's ahead. The lead lasted just over ten minutes. A Tomlinson free-kick into the box was handled by Sean Raggett, and Young pointed to the spot. Weimann sent Sam Walker the wrong way to level the scores.
The momentum shifted decisively against Colchester in the 83rd minute. Williams, who had come on as a substitute, was shown a straight red card for a foul on Taylor Cundy, reducing the hosts to ten men. They held on for a point despite the numerical disadvantage, with Cheltenham's Luke McCormick seeing a late shot deflected wide.
The draw continues a frustrating pattern at home. Jimmy ‘the Punt’ Cantrill noted, "The U’s are unbeaten at home in League Two this season but that doesn’t tell the whole story." He added, "They were losing against Oldham until Gus Scott-Morriss’ soft red card and needed a 94th-minute own goal to nick all three points."
With top scorer Jayden Payne having netted 13 times this season, finding a consistent cutting edge remains a priority. The team has scored eight goals but conceded ten in the league so far. Their next challenge is a trip to face 18th-placed Shrewsbury Town on Saturday, 26 September, as they look to end their winless run in the next fixtures.
This story first appeared at gazette-news.co.uk
