Peterborough United were held to a 1-1 draw by Sky Bet League Two side Colchester United at the JobServe Community Stadium in the driving Essex rain.
The home side made a bright start in the unseasonal July wet weather and forced goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic into a smart early stop, reacting quickly to keep out a low effort from Mauro Bandeira.
It didn’t take long for Posh to threaten at the other end and on nine minutes they opened the scoring, a wonderful cross from Joe Tomlinson turned home from close-range by Jonson CLARKE-HARRIS.
Tovide sent a shot wide on the turn for the hosts on 19 minutes as the rain continued to fall in Essex. Summer signing Peter Kioso replaced Dornelly on the half hour mark in a pre-planned substitution. Noah Chilvers sent an effort from 30-yards wide of the target on 31 minutes after being allowed to turn around the half-hour mark.
Dallison somehow diverted a Poku effort over his own crossbar on 42 minutes after a low cross from Tomlinson was only half cleared. Corbett saw a free-kick pushed around the post before he was gifted the chance to double the lead after a poor back pass but after shifting the ball past the keeper he struck the post.
Ihionvien had two chances on 52 minutes, firstly firing over from close-range before he scuffed a second effort moments later wide of the target. Darren Ferguson made wholesale changes on 56 minutes with every player replaced bar Will Blackmore, who was introduced at the interval and Kioso who came on after 30 minutes.
Colchester were awarded a spot on 58 minutes as an attempted roll out from Blackmore was intercepted and Crichlow upended his man with referee Craig Breakspear pointing for a penalty. CHILVERS stepped up and dispatched from 12-yards.
Chilvers fired over the top via a fingertip save by Blackmore moments later as the home side continued to dominate the exchanges in the driving rain. Tovide dragged a shot wide of the target on 62 minutes for the U’s.
Mason-Clark was repelled by Goodman on 69 minutes after excellent play from David Ajiboye, who tricked his way past the full-back before delivering an inch perfect pass to his team-mate. Crichlow produced a fine last-ditch tackle to thwart substitute Akinde on 83 minutes as the former Barnet man raced clear.
Kioso was shown a yellow card for a foul on 88 minutes for preventing a Colchester breakaway.
Colchester United: Goodman, Fevrier, Dallison, Lawrence, Hall, Read, Iandolo, Chilvers, Bandeira, Tovide, Ihonvien. Subs used: Jay, Hopper, Akinde, Newby, Cooper, Nelson, Greenidge.
Posh 56 mins onwards: Bilokapic, Corbett, Knight, Dornelly (sub Kioso 30min), Edwards, Fernandez, Tomlinson, Kyprianou, De Havilland, Poku, Clarke-Harris.
Posh 30 mins: Blackmore, Kioso, Burrows, O’Connell, Crichlow, Collins, Fuchs, Randall, Tshimanga, Ajiboye, Mason-Clark.
Half-time: Colchester United 0-1 Peterborough United
Full-time: Colchester United 1-1 Peterborough United
Photo credit: Richard Blaxall