Colchester United have drawn 1-1at Cheltenham Town
After taking time to get into the game, the U's went ahead just before the half hour mark.
Luke Norris cleverly finished after a Tom Eastman ball got the U's top scorer in behind the home defence.
The hosts got a second half leveller, with Conor Thomas scoring from the spot after Gerken fouled Reid.
With Cheltenham flying high in sixth place at the start of the game, the home side started the better.
Charlie Raglan headed the ball against the bar in just the sixth minute. The Robins won an early corner, which was crossed in by Clements, for Raglan to rattle the bar.
Colchester grew into the game, with their first real chance of the game with seventeen minutes on the clock.
Nouble was doing his usual work down the left flank and slid the ball into Norris inside the area.
Norris unselfishly laid the ball to the oncoming Kwame Poku, who shot but had the ball bounce back off him after it was blocked by Raglan, and it ran out for a goal kick.
The U’s did get their noses in front, with Luke Norris getting the goal.
Tom Eastman looked up and chipped the ball from one penalty area to the other, with Norris and Senior in hot pursuit.
The U’s number nine told Senior to stand down, and rightly so, as Norris controlled the ball, before calmly dinking the ball over the onrushing Flinders to give the away side the lead.
The last five minutes of the half was end to end, with Cheltenham really testing the U’s defence, having a couple of great chances.
Gerken was forced into saves from Chris Hussey and Jonte Smith but held firm and preventing the home side from scoring.
Courtney Senior then spurned a great chance to double the Colchester lead with three minutes left to play.
Kwame Poke did brilliantly to break from a Cheltenham attack, and while being pulled back for about ten yards, he spotted Senior sprinting in behind.
Courtney controlled the ball, and waited for Flinders to come out, before stroking the ball beyond the home keeper and the post.
The sides went into the dressing room with the U's a goal to the good thanks to Norris' effort.
Cheltenham came out of the blocks well in the second half, with Reuben Reid and Gavin Reilly coming on as half time subs.
Reid was just a few inches away from getting an equaliser only a couple of minutes into the second half, as his volley fizzed wide of Gerken’s right hand post.
Cheltenham continued to bang on the door, with Broom seemingly being the key man in the home side’s midfield. He crossed over, but Eastman and Comley controlled the ball before calmly hooking away.
The dangerous Broom was looking to get his side back in the game, and nearly did so in the sixtieth minute.
He blasted a crossshot across the face of goal – any touch would’ve resulted in a goal.
Luckily for the U's, the substitute Reilly was just a second or two late arriving at the back post, as the ball went out for a goal kick.
There were chances for the U's in the second half, with Senior proving to be a handful down the right wing.
He had the better of Greaves for most of the afternoon, and beat his man, before being fouled just on the edge of the area. The resulting cross from Bramall landed at the feet of Eastman, but he could only find the side netting.
Cheltenham were really pushing for an equaliser with twenty minutes to go, with the home fans urging them forward at every opportunity.
Broom released Reid, who was on the wrong side of Jackson, before going down under doubtable contact from Gerken in the area. The U’s goalkeeper was booked for the challenge and couldn’t save the penalty as Conor Thomas sent him the wrong way.
It was clear with a few minutes left why Cheltenham have been so good at home, and they wanted to win the game.
The U’s defence was resolute under constant pressure, but Eastman and Prosser made sure they were the first to any ball coming their way, with Jackson and Bramall providing excellent cover down the flanks.
The full time whistle blew, with the scores level and Colchester United definitely the happier team to come away with a point.
The result leaves the U’s in tenth place in the table, three points behind Bradford City who currently occupy the final play off spot.