Colchester United 2 Morecambe 2

Colchester United missed a chance to record what would have been a first win in seven league matches, when they were pegged back to 2-2 by Morecambe this afternoon.

A first-half brace by Chris Porter had the U’s in the driving seat at 2-1 up at the interval.

But a glaring error by Sam Walker, who had saved a 17th minute penalty by Tom Barkhuizen, enabled the Shrimps to salvage a point on 77 minutes.

Walker allowed Lee Molyneux’s free-kick to slip through his finger-tips and into the net.

The U’s are therefore still searching for their first win since a home success over Blackpool, six weeks ago.

It was a lethal finish by Porter, to chalk up his fifth goal of the season to put the U’s ahead after just four minutes.

Kane Vincent-Young, operating as a right winger, received the ball following good link-up play by Sammie Szmodics and Denny Johnstone, and he delivered a measured cross for Porter to steer home a first-time shot from eight yards out.

Barkhuizen saw his 17th minute penalty well saved by keeper Sam Walker, after Alex Wynter had fouled Peter Murphy in the box, but he made amends by netting the equaliser on 26 minutes.

Barkhuizen pounced on a loose ball and ran through uncontested, before clipping his shot beyond the onrushing Walker for a slick equaliser.

However, Porter regained the U’s, before the break, with a penalty of his own in the 39th minute.

Vincent-Young dribbled past a couple of challenges and found fellow winger Drey Wright, who curled in a goal-bound shot which was palmed away by keeper Barry Roche.

Richard Brindley’s follow-up shot struck Kevin Ellison on the hand, and it was the assistant referee who waved his flag to advise referee Grant Ward to award the penalty.

And Porter made no mistake from the spot, sending Roche the wrong way by side-footing his low shot into the right-hand corner of the net to put the U’s 2-1 up, and record his sixth goal of the season.

The U’s were looking comfortable during the second period, until a mistake by Walker enabled Morecambe to equalise with 13 minutes remaining.

Substitute Molyneux’s free-kick, from 25 yards out, seemed to have been caught by Walker, but the U’s keeper allowed the ball to slip through his fingertips and drop into the near corner of the net.

The home side spurned several chances to fashion a late winner, with substitutes Kurtis Guthrie and Tarique Fosu both failing to hit the target from goood positions.

Squads

COLCHESTER: Walker, Brindley, Prosser, Eastman, Wynter, Slater, Vincent-Young (sub Fosu, 84), Szmodics (sub Guthrie, 65), Wright, Porter, Johnstone (sub Bonne, 80). Unused subs: Bransgrove, Sembie-Ferris, Doyley, Kamara.

MORECAMBE: Roche, McGowan, Edwards, Whitmore, Jennings, Fleming (sub Molyneux, 60), Rose, Barkhuizen, Murphy, Ellison (sub Massanka, 74), Stockton. Unused subs: Nizic, Wakefield, Mullin, Conlan, Turner.

Referee: Grant Ward (Surrey)

Attendance: 2,815 (80 away fans)