Colchester United drew 2-2 with Carlisle United in League Two

The U's looked like they were heading for a vital three points against Carlisle, who sit three points behind them in the League Two table.

But Tobi Sho-Silva’s late equaliser denied Colchester victory at the JobServe Community Stadium, as the spoils were shared.

The result means the U's remain five points above the relegation zone.

Brown said: "It feels like a loss.

"We're devastated because you find yourself 2-1 up with ten minutes to go in a football match.

"But it's not a loss; it's another point on the board against one of the teams in and around us and we've got loads and loads to build on, off the back of that performance.

“Having found ourselves 1-0 down, we’ve done great to get back into the game and then take the lead.

“We just need to try and manage it a bit better.

“They (Carlisle) didn’t get out of their half in the first half.

“We’d like to see the game out at 2-1 but on reflection, we should be out of sight in the first half.

“If you don’t take your chances when you’re on top, the game becomes quite difficult at times especially against a team like Carlisle who are fighting for their lives.

“Even at 1-0 down, I was still confident that we would get back into the game.

"Credit to the lads because questions were asked of them at 1-0 down at home to Carlisle, knowing that your home form has not been so great.

“They showed good character and it’s just disappointing they didn’t see out the game.”

After a goal-less first half, Colchester fell behind when Omari Patrick curled a superb shot into the far corner past keeper Sam Hornby, five minutes after the break.

But the U's leveller in the 69th minute through skipper Tommy Smith, who headed home from close range after Freddie Sears had lofted the ball into his path.

And Colchester went ahead five minutes later when substitute Tyreik Wright stabbed home after his first attempt had been blocked.

But Carlisle claimed a point in the 86th minute when the unmarked Sho-Silva dived to head home Joe Riley's cross from close range.

"We were on top in the first half, without playing fantastic football," added Brown.

"When we used the width, we got good opportunities.

"We probably lacked a little bit of quality in the wide areas, going into the box.

"But that said, we've had four or five really good chances, their keeper has made two great saves, O (Owura) has missed one from 15 yards with a free shot in the box, Chambo has put a free header over from a set play.

"When you're on top of games and you've got a team camped in their own half, you've got to take your chances.

"The messages in the second half were the same as those in the first half.

"We knew we'd done nothing in the game as yet and we had to start the second half on the front foot, like we did the first half.

"But sometimes it doesn't happen for whatever reason - you find yourself under pressure and they get the first goal.

"It was a good delivery from the set play and Smudge is in the right place at the right time and it was a great header.

"The belief and the confidence came back into the lads.

"We get another one and we probably could have had more at 2-1 but it wasn't to be."