COLCHESTER 1
Lisbie 56

ARGYLE 1
Norris 88

DAVID Norris was the hero for Argyle as the Pilgrims put successive defeats behind them with a fine performance at Layer Road.

Chuck was on hand to rescue a point for Ian Holloway's team after Kevin Lisbie's tap-in appeared to give Colchester a victory that would have been nothing short of a travesty.

Losses to Preston and Sheffield Wednesday made it an important night for the Greens and they responded with a performance full of verve, purpose and pride.

All it needed was better finishing and we would be looking forward to Saturday's game against Norwich with a resounding victory fresh in the memory. Instead, we had to take the second best of a confident display and a solid point at the tightest little ground in the Championship.

Ollie made two defensive changes for the unique Colchester challenge with Le 'Keeper Romain Larrieu restored to the starting line-up in place of Luke McCormick, who was surprisingly also omitted from the replacements.

Jimmy Abdou was also brought into the side in a clear bolstering-the-midfield tactic. Hungarian Péter Halmosi dropped to the bench for a much needed break, having not enjoyed the benefits of two international breaks already this season because of Magyar duty.

Davaid Norris shifted to the right-wing and Lee Martin switched to the left - a position he has previously stated as his preference.

Home manager Geraint Williams named the same 16 that secured a 1-1 televised draw with managerless Leicester on the weekend. Former England international Teddy Sheringham was the most notable absentee as he continued his three-match suspension for an elbowing incident at Coventry.

Colchester did not take long to test Larrieu's sharpness with skipper Karl Duguid firing in a low cross that the Frenchman did well to divert away from danger with his generally unemployed right boot.

The first ten minutes were a demonstration in why the U's are such a formidable force at Layer Road. The crowd are almost on the pitch and the home side are relentless in their bombardment of visiting teams. All I can say is thank goodness, for the sake of all away sides, they are moving to a new stadium next season.

Argyle eventually managed to relive the pressure, and Krisztián Timár was the man who found himself in alien territory. The big Magyar adjusted well on his brief visit to the left wing and only Pat Baldwin's outstretched foot prevented Timár from giving home 'keeper Dean Gerkan his first test.

Lee Martin took instant inspiration and his dipping drive from 'Timár's position' almost gave Gerkan an unpleasant, belated welcome to the game, but, to his credit, the Colchester youth team graduate adjusted his feet well to collect the ball.

Argyle were visibly growing in confidence and Lord Barrington of Hayles was the next to penetrate the home defence. After exchanging passes with both Lilian Nalis and Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, the skipper fired a bobbling effort inches wide of Gerkan's right-hand post.

The Green forays forward should not disguise the continued threat Colchester were posing with former Tottenham youngster Mark Yeates a constant threat on the right. My Colchester counterpart informs me he is the scorer of seven goals this season and five of them have been direct free-kicks - we had been warned.

Kem Izzet, younger brother of Leicester legend and former Turkey international Muzzy, must have taken inspiration from his midfield compadre as he fizzed an ambitious volley inches wide to bring an interesting first period to an end.

If Colchester have Yeates, then we have Lee Martin, for a while, and the Manchester United youngster was the creator of the first opening of the second-half, finding Ebanks-Blake on the edge of the box, but his former Old Trafford team-mate's hurried effort never looked like finding the net.

The two men combined again a minute later, but Sylvan was, again, wayward, firing his left-foot drive high, wide and not very handsome.

The punishment was harsh but missed chances at this level often come back to haunt you. Colchester's opener was particularly cruel on Larrieu, who pulled off a magnificent save to deny a dipping volley from Yeates.

There can't be any Irish blood running through Le 'Keeper's French veins as luck deserted him, with the rebound falling to Lisbie, and the former Charlton striker could not fail to notch his fifth goal of the season from just two yards.

Ollie responded immediately by introducing Halmosi for Abdou and moving Norris back inside. The positive move instantly galvanised the Pilgrims, and Hayles was unfortunate to scoop a shot over the bar after neatly turning the perplexed Baldwin in the box.

On the balance of play, particularly in the second-half, Colchester's goal was not far short of a crime, but Argyle continued to pour forward without complaint and Hayles was again unlucky to steer the ball over following some fine wing play by Paul Connolly.

It was Halmosi's turn next and he came very close to performing a perfect Mark Yeates impression with a delicious curling free-kick that Gerkan did well to palm away from danger.

The pressure was relentless and Gerkan was again the Colchester hero as he saved superbly from a Hamosi drive and an Ebanks-Blake overhead kick in quick succession. Substitute Rory Fallon then planted a firm header inches over the bar.

Colchester were camped in their own box with all 11 men protecting the lead. Argyle could beat ten of them, but Gerkan was always in the way and, once again, he performed miracles to keep out a thundering Sylvan strike.

The most deserved equaliser, no exaggeration here, possibly in the history of Championship football finally arrived with just two minutes to spare when Norris turned home a Jermaine Easter cross from close range.

The move arguably started on 46 minutes, such was the level of pressure in the second-half, but this particular sequence began with Nalis feeding Halmosi down the left. The excellent Hungarian swung over an inviting cross that was flicked on by Fallon. The ball found its way to Ebanks-Blake, and eventually Norris.

Aside from a superb Lee Hodges tackle on Johnnie Jackson, Argyle looked the more likely winners in the dying moments of this breathless game. It ended a draw, but, despite conceding so late, Colchester will feel like they have won.

COLCHESTER (4-4-2): 1 Dean Gerkan; 7 Karl Duguid, 18 Matt Connolly, 12 Pat Baldwin, 2 Danny Granville; 11 Mark Yeates, 6 Kevin Watson, 10 Kemal Izzet, 4 Johnnie Jackson, 20 Kevin Lisbie, 9 Clive Platt.
Substitutes (not used): 14 Kevin McLeod, 16 George Elokobi, 19 Adam Virgo, 21 Bela Balogh, 23 Mark Cousins.

Booked:

ARGYLE (4-4-2): 1 Romain Larrieu; 2 Paul Connolly, 5 Krisztián Timár, 19 Marcel Seip, 17 Lee Hodges; 7 David Norris, 26 Nadjim Abdou (16 Péter Halmosi 57), 4 Lilian Nalis, 29 Lee Martin (14 Rory Fallon 63); 9 Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, 10 Barry Hayles (capt) (36 Jermaine Easter 70).
Substitutes (not used): 13 Mathias Kouo-Doumbe, 22 Dan Gosling.

Booked:

Referee: Grant Hegley

Attendance: 4,833 (away 350 est.)