Pelicans 2 Colchester 2

East Mens Premier B

Pelicans 2 Colchester 2

Colchester made the long journey to King's Lynn for their first game since the Christmas break and returned home with a share of the spoils after an entertaining game of hockey.

The visitors started strongly with Mark Thorogood, who was returning from a ten-week injury lay off, and Mark Kennedy prominent in midfield.

Colchester took the lead when Craig Warriners goal bound effort struck a home defenders foot and captain Wayne Masters made no mistake from the resultant penalty stroke.

Colchester continued to dominate proceedings, winning a string of short corners that they failed to convert, with Warriner coming the closest when he struck the upright.

The Essex side had strong claims for another penalty stoke when Kennedy was seemingly scythed down in the D but the umpire only awarded a short corner as well as giving the home defender a yellow card, their second of the game.

At half time Masters urged his team to push forward in search of further goals and not to sit back on the lead. Matt Lowe had the ball in the net from a short corner only for the umpire to disallow the goal after initially awarding it.

Pelicans started to find their form and pushed Colchester back, forcing keeper Martin Beaver to make some smart stops before they equalised with a well-struck short corner.

This goal seemed to bring confidence to the hosts and with ten minutes remaining they took an undeserved lead when a free hit from the top of the D was deflected past the stranded Beaver.

Colchester pushed forward in search of an equaliser and when Kennedy and then Rohan Khaira were hacked down by Pelican defenders they were awarded a short corner and both defenders were shown yellow cards, reducing them to nine men and bringing their tally of yellow cards in the game to four. Masters dispatched the resultant corner into the roof of the net to bring the visitors level.

Against nine men Colchester went looking for the winner and went agonisingly close when Tom Philp's cross was deflected onto the post by Warriner.

Eventually Colchester had to settle for a draw, but travelled home knowing that this was a rare chance to take all three points from their travels here. This weekend Colchester entertain league leaders Bishops Stortford.