Colchester United draw 1-1 against Tottenham Hotspur, before losing the penalty shoot-out

In the second of the three group games, the U's went ahead through Luke Norris' powerful header two minutes before half-time.

The Premier League youngsters got a point thanks to Tashan Oakley-Boothe's seventy four minute leveller, and the game went to spot kicks for the extra point.

And it turned out to be an important extra point for Spurs, giving them a chance to catch the U's when the final games of the group stage are played.

They need to beat Gillingham, and hope that the U's fail to take a point against Ipswich Town, who beat the Gills to put them through to the knock-out stages.

The game started unsurprisingly with Tottenham’s youngsters looking to keep possession and pass the ball around, something they did with confidence in the early stages.

They weren’t hurting the U’s though, and it was the hosts who had the first chance of the game.

Luke Norris played in Jevani Brown on the right, and after cutting inside onto his left foot, the former Cambridge forward whipped a shot just over the angle of post and bar.

That first attempt at the Spurs’ goal came on eight minutes, and it was the U’s who had the more meaningful attacks as the first half progressed.

Kwame Poku had a shot from the edge of the box blocked, Norris hit a free-kick over the bar and then had an angled shot deflected wide for a corner.

The first time Ethan Ross, deputising for Dean Gerken, was tested, he came through with flying colours, blocking a shot from Rodel Richards.

It didn’t come without pain though, the thirtieth minute shot hit him square in the face and he had treatment before seeing the U’s defend the resulting corner.

The U’s finished the half well, and Omar Sowunmi headed straight at Jonathan De Bie before a deserved opener went the way of the hosts on forty three minutes.

Noah Chilvers found Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu, who dribbled across the edge of the box before the ball found its way to Ryan Clampin wide on the left.

His cross to the far post was met by a powerful header from Luke Norris and despite an attempt to keep it out, the U’s were ahead.

It almost got better before the break, but Wiredu’s shot was blocked before it could test the Tottenham keeper.

There wasn’t much in the way of goalmouth action early in the second half, and before a shot could be managed at either end, John McGreal made the first change of the night for the U’s.

Tom Lapslie made way for Brandon Comley, who had a quarter of the game to get through before he headed off for international duty with Montserrat.

Brown had the next effort of the game, coming on seventy two minutes, but he again shot over the angle of the woodwork from an acute angle.

The scores were level two minutes later, when Oakley-Boothe got in behind Clampin and drilled a shot that Ross got a big touch on but couldn’t prevent going past him and in.

Wiredu was looking troubled after a strong challenge with Luis Binks, and eventually had to be replaced by Ryan Jackson.

Spurs went close to winner on seventy six minutes, after Jackson deflected a cross that whipped over Ross but bounced to safety off the top of the crossbar.

The U’s final substitution came three minutes later, with Poku coming off for Theo Robinson.

Ross made two late saves, before the U’s had the final, and maybe the best chance to win it.

Brown pulled the ball back to a waiting Courtney Senior, he mishit his shot and Tom Eastman stuck out a boot that sent it just wide.

The final whistle went seconds later, and both teams gained a point from the 1-1 draw.

It wasn’t the end to the action though, with an extra point to be won for the penalty shoot-out.

Binks scored the first for Spurs, before Luke Norris failed to level it up, but White missed the very next effort and Brown made it 1-1 from two penalties for each side.

Shashoua and Robinson both scored, before Tracey hit the post and Senior scored to make it 3-2 to the U’s after four each.

Eyoma scored with Spurs’ fifth effort, meaning that Noah Chilvers could win it for the U’s.

De Bia dived to his left to save though and the tension went on into sudden death.

Eastman and Jackson scored for the U’s following Etete and Hinds’ successful kicks, then Fagan-Walcott scored with Spurs’ eighth effort.

Comley hit his effort wide of the post next, and it was the North London side that won the additional point.

It gives them a lifeline going into the final games of the group stage, with the U’s having a total of four and spurs sitting in third on two points.