Drawing a line under it 

THE main consensus from anyone with a Colchester United persuasion following their 2-2 draw at Port Vale was that it was a case of two points dropped, rather than one gained.

Having led twice at Vale Park and been ahead for much of the second half before conceding a late equaliser, the feeling amongst players and staff was understandably downbeat in the aftermath of the League Two clash.

In some ways, it was a reversal of their 1-1 draw with Grimsby Town the previous week, where Colchester had improved after half-time to salvage a point after a flat first-half performance.

At least the U’s overall performance at Vale was generally better than that of the Mariners game but John McGreal’s side have now drawn four of their last six games.

Only Mansfield Town have had more draws in League Two this season and dropped points are now threatening to cost the U's the chance of nailing a coveted play-off spot, this season.

The Wright stuff

IT had been a long time coming but Drey Wright finally broke his goal drought after scoring at Port Vale.

The former U’s youth-team player is the first to acknowledge that he should be scoring more goals, especially given the good positions he finds himself in during games.

He has created numerous chances for other players so it was good to see him get his goal at Vale Park, his first for 14 months.

Hopefully, it will be the first of many this season for Wright, who has been one of the first names on boss John McGreal’s teamsheet this season.

Senior’s moment

COLCHESTER United have been struggling to find a win of late but it has certainly been a good few weeks for Courtney Senior.

After forcing his way into John McGreal’s plans this month, the young attacker marked his first-ever league start with a goal in the U’s 2-2 draw with Port Vale.

U’s head coach John McGreal, who started Senior on the left flank against Vale, reckons the former Brentford academy product is a player who generally plays through the middle.

But in his last three appearances for Colchester, he has shown enough enterprise and talent to look capable of being effective anywhere in the attacking third.

Wembley distraction?

AT around the time that Colchester United’s team bus was pulling away from a near-deserted Vale Park on Saturday night, their next opponents Newport County were wildly celebrating a Padraig Amond goal against Tottenham Hotspur, in the FA Cup.

The Exiles’ 1-1 draw against their Premier League opponents was a magnificent achievement and also earned them a lucrative fourth-round replay in North London, in around ten days time.

Colchester will be hoping that Newport have one eye on going to Wembley to face Spurs again, heading into this weekend's League Two game at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

With just three points currently separating the sides in the table, it’s a big game for both clubs.

A very welcome return

BRENNAN Dickenson’s return to action after more than nine months out with a serious knee injury is understandably generating a fair bit of excitement among Colchester United fans.

The former Brighton and Hove Albion winger successfully came through the final half hour of the U’s under-23 defeat at the hands of Swansea City on Thursday night, on his return to the pitch.

Dickenson is likely to feature again for the under-23s tomorrow when they host QPR, at Florence Park.

And although they may have to wait a little bit longer for him to make his first-team return, the U’s will be glad to see one of their most important players on the verge of a first-team comeback heading into the final three months of the League Two campaign.