WAYNE Brown felt his Colchester United side were unlucky not to claim victory after they played out a 1-1 draw with Carlisle United this afternoon.

Noah Chilvers fired the U's ahead at the JobServe Community Stadium but Kristian Dennis's header just before half-time meant the spoils were shared in front of a crowd of 3,137 for Colchester's first home game of the new season.

U's boss Brown said: “On another day, you can look at the territory and the chances we had and say we were unlucky not to come away with the three points.

“When you concede goals, they’re always massive but when you concede goals a minute or two before half-time, it tends to be a bit of a killer blow.

“Our job is to lift the group and try and assess situations and make changes in formations, which we did in the second half.

“I felt that not only did the system and the change work in the second half but also the personnel that came on the pitch had a massive impact.

“We were more on the front foot, more tenacious, there was no acceptance and we played the game at a better tempo and we got success.

“Credit to the five lads who came in, because they made an impact on the game.”

Gazette:

Both sides had their chances in the first half, with Freddie Sears striking a post and Colchester goalkeeper Sam Hornby twice denying Dennis.

Opportunities were more at a premium after the break, although both teams could have claimed the points before the end.

"It was a challenge," said Brown.

"We set up in a certain way to try and nullify teams whilst being a threat and sometimes, it doesn't always go to plan.

"Teams change what they do, they're braver with what they do and we have to adapt.

"That said, we hit the post and we score a goal by doing the work that we've done through the week.

Gazette:

"You can say it's paid dividends and worked but the disappointing thing was we let too many balls come into the box in the first half.

"We weren't brave enough in wide areas to stop crosses.

"We overloaded the midfield like we did against Northampton and if you are going to give up any areas, it's going to be in the wide areas.

"But they were brave with it and they pushed their wing-backs right the way on, they had the two midfielders running and it was always going to be a game about first and second balls.

"I felt first half especially we fell short a little bit on that.

"Freddie (Sears) up top is not going to win headers but what we can do is flood the area, which is what we try to do with anticipation and win second balls and we fell just short.

"We tweaked things in the second half and we were braver.

"We pushed their wing-backs back and our wide men were higher and wider, to try and occupy their wing-backs.

"That became evident and our full-backs then became our spare men and we were getting the balls in wider areas and having the impetus and putting balls into box, whilst also creating chances from other areas of the pitch."