Colchester United's home fixtures finished with a 0-0 draw in a match where they had the majority of possession and chances, but were just unable to find that route to goal.

The two teams came into the match knowing that the play-offs were out of reach and it gave John McGreal the chance to make changes in this match that brought down the curtain on the 2017/18 games at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Frankie Kent and Courtney Senior returned to the starting eleven and there was a first league start for Dillon Barnes between the sticks.

The young shot stopper was relatively untroubled through the ninety minutes, but had to contend with an early problem when a free kick took a wicked deflection, but he fielded it well.

The U's were putting together some good moves through the middle third, but couldn't find that killer ball or get clean shots off when the opportunities presented themselves.

Visiting keeper Simon Moore saved well from Sean Murray's long distance shot and did even better later in the half to claw away a bending Drey Wright effort that looked destined to find the top corner.

A bright start to the second half saw Ben Stevenson miscue a shot early on, before Wright's flashed shot went just wide of the far upright.

Junior Ogedi-Uzokwe was introduced off the bench and was followed by Ryan Gondoh, making his league debut in place of Wright with twenty minutes to go.

The former Maldon winger impressed in his cameo stint, causing his defenders problems and winning a series of fouls as his trickery forced untimely challenges.

Ogedi-Uzokwe forced a smart low save out of Moore at his near post from a corner, but the quest for a goal was still eluding the U's.

Sammie Szmodics came off the bench for the latter part of the game, and gave the U's additional energy in that final part of the ninety minutes.

He twice almost got in on goal, only to be denied by good defending and it was perhaps no surprise given the two sides' resilience that it finished all square.