COLCHESTER United manager John Ward described his side’s goalless draw with Southampton as a ‘terrific’ point.

The U’s were disrupted by injuries to defenders Marc Tierney and Pat Baldwin during this encounter, but still stood up superbly to a Saints side that pushed hard for a win on Nigel Adkins home debut as manager.

Both sides could have won it in a dramatic finish to the game as Kayode Odejayi and Ashley Vincent failed to finish off a counter-attack before keeper Mark Cousins made two fine saves from Rickie Lambert free-kicks in stoppage time.

“It’s a terrific point,” said Ward, whose side are now unbeaten in their opening seven League One matches.

“Everyone has been talking about Nigel (Adkins) and the influence he was going to have and they were quite right to think that because this is a really big club and a really big team.

“For us to stand our ground here is a fantastic result. If you’d have offered me this at half past two I’d have taken it.”

Tierney and Baldwin came off with direct blows to their hip and ankle respectively in this match, but neither injury is thought to be serious at this stage.

– Full report and reaction in Monday’s EADT.