DANNY Cowley says he was encouraged by the personality his Colchester United team showed after they claimed a point against Walsall to climb out of the League Two drop zone.

Cameron McGeehan's equaliser just after the break cancelled out Taylor Allen's opener for the Saddlers late in the first half, as the points were shared at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Noah Chilvers had a penalty saved by Walsall goalkeeper Jackson Smith soon after McGeehan's equaliser, as the U's played out a fourth successive home draw under the Cowleys.

READ MORE: Match report as Colchester play out draw with Walsall

The point lifted them out of the bottom two with ten games left, after Forest Green Rovers lost to bottom club Sutton United.

U’s boss Cowley said: “The whole 90 minutes gave me encouragement, in terms of the personality and character that we played with.

“I think that’s the best we’ve been, in terms of intent and belief.

“I thought Cam McGeehan was excellent today; he has a great chance with a header from a corner which the goalkeeper doesn't know anything about and it hits him and goes over the bar and then Bradley (Ihionvien) does brilliantly, gets down the left, cuts one back to Cam and the goalkeeper makes a brilliant save.

“We concede a goal when their left centre-half bends one in.

“You learn a lot about your team in that moment when you go behind like that, particularly against the run of play but credit to the group, because they stuck at it.

Gazette:

“In life, sometimes you just have to stick at it and it was a brilliant finish from Cam.

“It was a great run by Brad; I think he did brilliantly to get in behind a really athletic back three.

"Walsall have been a very good team in this division, in 2024.

"I think they have got the best win statistics in the division.

"Two of their back three have been recruited and are really athletic players and Brad could still run away from them and it bodes really well for what is to come.

"He cut it back and it was just behind John (Akinde) and it was a really difficult finish for Cam but he's such a good finisher and he works on it every single day.

READ MORE: Colchester United 1 Walsall 1 - as it happened

"He's got an unbelievable attitude and a great finish which capped off a really good performance by him."

Colchester missed a golden opportunity to go ahead when Noah Chilvers' penalty was saved by Walsall goalkeeper Jackson Smith, soon after McGeehan's equaliser.

"Noah was one (in list of penalty takers), Arthur (Read) was two - we work on it religiously (in training), said Cowley.

"Noah has probably taken about 25 penalties and hasn't missed since I've been here!

Gazette:

"If they miss them in training, then they come off them in games - that's how we do it and it's always been the way.

"You have to try to create the pressure in training for them to execute it in the game and to be fair to Noah, today he doesn't quite connect and the goalkeeper makes a good save.

"This is football; for us, we spoke a lot in the week about no fear and about playing with bravery and I think Noah is a shining example of that in this team.

"He has a huge amount of courage and always backs himself - I think a lot of him."