Ten-man U’s salvage a point at Yeovil after Barnes sees red

Dillon Barnes, who was sent off following an altercation with Yeovil's Tristan Abrahams after the home side had broken the deadlock. Picture: STEVE WALLER (Image: � Copyright Stephen Waller)

Ten-man Colchester United salvaged a draw at Yeovil Town this afternoon, to keep alive their slender play-off hopes.

It looked all over for the U’s, when they conceded a 53rd minute opening goal to Jake Gray, followed by keeper Dillon Barnes seeing red in the aftermath to that goal.

Barnes was sent off by referee Peter Wright, after clashing with Tristan Abrahams.

But the visitors refused to buckle and Tom Eastman swept home an equaliser, following Brennan Dickenson’s 75th minute corner, to secure a point.

As a result, John McGreal’s men remain two points adrift of the top seven, with just two matches remaining – seventh-placed Exeter City drew 1-1 at Stevenage. And they have also climbed a place to eighth.

It was a goalless first half, although the U’s had several chances to get their noses up front.

Dickenson, operating as a left-back, had a header saved in the eighth minute, and Abo Eisa was also denied by keeper Baxter from his shot on 25 minutes, before Tom Lapslie fired wide.

Eisa peppered the target with another shot in the 52nd minute, but it all went wrong for the U’s just a minute later.

Gray fired Yeovil ahead, and to make matters worse, keeper Barnes was shown a straight red after an altercation with Abrahams.

So on came substitute Ethan Ross to make his senior debut, in difficult circumstances, with midfielder Sam Saunders the man to give way.

Frankie Kent so nearly equalised for the visitors in the 58th minute, just two minutes after Barnes’ red card, when his header from a Dickenson’s free-kick rattled the bar.

But the U’s did equalise in the 75th minute, thanks to Eastman’s calm side-footed finish from Dickenson’s corner.

YEOVIL: Baxter, Browne (sub Ojo, 35), Sowunmi, Mugabi, James, Gray, D’Almeida, Pattison (sub Arquin, 76), Abrahams, Duffus (sub Fisher, 86), Dobre. Unused subs: Nelson, Worthington, Zoko, Rogers, Ojo.

COLCHESTER: Barnes, Jackson, Eastman, Kent, Dickenson, Lapslie, Saunders (sub Ross, 56), Senior (sub Norris, 80), Szmodics, Eisa (sub Mandron, 67), Nouble. Unused subs: Kensdale, Stevenson, Chilvers, Wright.

Referee: Peter Wright

Attendance: 3,370