Colchester United fail to beat 10-man Chesterfield
Kevin Keen - Credit: Sarah Lucy brown
Colchester United 1 Chesterfield 1
Colchester United failed to end their long, barren run, stretching to 17 league games without a win, when they were held to a home draw by 10-man Chesterfield tonight.
Macauley Bonne seemed to have set the U’s up for a rare victory, when he calmly swatted home a pinpoint low cross from Drey Wright in the 69th minute.
But the U’s could only hold onto their lead for three minutes.
Substitute Lee Novak was felled in the box, by left-back Richard Brindley, and striker Novak picked himself up to convert the ensuing penalty, low to Elliott Parish’s left, for a 72nd minute leveller.
Chesterfield had been reduced to 10 men after just 16 minutes, following Gary Liddle’s rash challenge on Kane Vincent-Young.
Defensive midfielder Liddle, a recent recruit from Bradford, caught right-back Vincent-Young with a late, two-footed challenged, and referee Lee Swabey had no hesitation in reaching for his red card.
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But the U’s could not take advantage, and the solitary point has done little to ease their plight at the foot of League One.
The U’s have now drawn four and lost the other 13 of their last 17 league fixtures, to remain a distant eight points adrift of safety.
Their last league win was way back on October 20, a 2-1 success over Port Vale. That was 120 days ago.
Squads
COLCHESTER: Parish, Brindley, Eastman, Elokobi, Vincent-Young, Bonne, Edwards (sub Massey, 89), Garvan, Ambrose (sub Wright, 60), Lee (sub Moncur, 60), Porter. Unused subs: Barnes, Kent, Lapslie, Shorey.
CHESTERFIELD: Lee, Talbot, Hird, Anderson, Donohue, Liddle, Ariyibi, Dimaio (sub Herd, 83), Banks, O’Shea (sub Novak, 46), Dieseruvwe (sub Ebanks-Blake, 57). Unused subs: Chapman, Gardner, Maguire, Simons.
Referee: Lee Swabey (Devon)
Attendance: 6,167 (187 away fans)
