Chris Porter hit an 88th-minute equaliser to secure a point for Colchester United after they drew 1-1 with Crawley Town.

With time ebbing away at the Broadfield Stadium, striker Porter came off the bench to fire into the roof of the net and earn a draw for his side.

Colchester registered the game’s first meaningful effort on target in the 15th minute.

Tarique Fosu found space on the edge of the D before sending a deflected low shot straight at Crawley keeper Glenn Morris.

But Colchester found themselves behind in the 19th minute.

Adi Yussuf, who had come off the bench to score one and make another two goals in Crawley’s 3-2 win at Morecambe last weekend, latched onto James Collins’ pass in the area and pounced on hesitation between U’s goalkeeper Sam Walker and defender Richard Brindley to stab the loose ball into the net.

The U’s looked for an immediate response and Fosu’s free-kick from 20 yards sailed well over the bar.

However, they almost fell further behind midway through the first half when Walker had to dive full stretch to his left to push away Collins' excellent long-range strike.

Colchester rarely troubled Morris in the first half, although Craig Slater did curl a free-kick over the bar from a decent position nine minutes before half-time.

Indeed, the U’s improved a bit in the final stages of the first half but still went in trailing at the break and needing a better performance, if they were to get back into the contest.

Colchester's players appeared on the pitch at least five minutes early for the second half and they were close to getting back on level terms just before the hour when Sammie Szmodics’ low effort parried away for a corner by Morris, after Kurtis Guthrie had threaded the ball through to him on the edge of the area.

Colchester made a double substitution with 20 minutes remaining bringing on Porter and Dion Sembie-Ferris and it almost paid immediate dividends when Szmodics’ headed Guthrie’s flick-on towards goal.

But Crawley keeper Morris somehow dived to his left to make a superb save to push the ball onto a post and keep it out on the goal-line.

Porter then had an effort blocked on the line by substitute Alex Davey, before the experienced forward slammed home a dramatic equaliser to earn Colchester a point.