Colchester United have been held to a 1-1 draw at Yeovil Town, and end the Easter weekend a tantalising two points away from the top seven.

All the action came in the second half, with Yeovil going ahead seven minutes in.

Dillon Barnes conceded the opener, and was then sent off for an incident as the hosts celebrated the goal.

Tom Eastman got an equaliser with sixteen minutes remaining, but the ten men couldn't find a winner for the three points.

The game started in bright sunshine, and the U’s were the brightest of the two sides in the early stages, and had the first chance after just seven minutes.

A cheap corner was conceded by the hosts, and from the set piece, Brennan Dickenson rose highest but could only head straight at Baxter in the home goal.

The first home chance came ten minutes later, and was also from a corner.

Mugabi won a far post header and although it looked like Dillon Barnes got a touch, the referee pointed for a goal kick, suggesting the header hit the base of the post.

Halfway through the half, the U’s had the best chance but both Abs Eisa and Frank Nouble couldn’t find a way through.

First, Eisa’s shot from the edge after good work from Tom Lapslie and Nouble was saved and then Nouble’s effort went wide from fifteen yards out.

A half chance fell to Gray on the far post after he was found on the second phase of a deep free kick, but he rushed the shot and Barnes saved comfortably.

The last effort of the first period fell to Eisa, who was put in by Nouble, but he didn’t get the contact on his shot and the scores remained goalless at the break.

At the start of the second period, it was the U’s on the front foot, and within ninety seconds there were goalscoring opportunities.

Sam Saunders had a shot blocked on the edge, and then Sammie Szmodics just failed to take the ball in his stride after Nouble’s flick.

On fifty one minutes, the U’s should have been ahead.

Courtney Senior played a one-two with Nouble, and then stayed on his feet after being fouled before rolling the ball to his left to Eisa.

Unfortunately, the U’s loanee couldn’t get any power behind his shot and Baxter saved easily.

A minute later, the U’s were a goal and a man down.

Gray cut inside from his right wing berth, and hit a shot from outside the box that didn’t look like it should have troubled Barnes in the U’s goal.

Somehow it made its way past the U’s keeper and into the back of the net.

Barnes was then involved in an altercation with Abrahams and was dismissed with the Yeovil forward writhing on the ground in the six yard box.

Ethan Ross was introduced for his football league debut, with Saunders making way for the substitute keeper.

Just before the hour mark, the U’s should have been level, but an unmarked Frankie Kent hit the bar with a free header from Dickenson’s wide free kick.

The home side missed the target with a couple of half chances, and were then denied when James’ free kick was tipped over by Ross.

Mikael Mandron replaced Eisa on sixty seven minutes, and seven minutes later, the U’s were level.

Dickenson’s delivery again caused problems for the hosts, this time a corner was flicked on by Pattison at the near post – straight to Eastman on the far post.

The dependable centre half calmly sidefooted his volley back across goal into the bottom corner to make it 1-1.

On seventy nine minutes, McGreal made his third change when he bought Luke Norris on and the forward almost made an instant impact.

Dickenson was again the instigator, putting a cross in that Norris could only head straight at Baxter.

And the U’s had the final chance of the game in the six minutes of injury time, but Kent could only power his shot over the bar from the edge of the box.

The victory that the U’s wanted didn’t materialise, but they remain two points behind seventh place and actually moved up a place into eighth with the draw.