COLCHESTER United head coach John McGreal admits he was left frustrated by his side’s 1-1 draw with Crawley Town.

The U’s looked like they were on course to start 2020 with a victory after Frank Nouble fired them ahead just after the hour mark, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

But Ollie Palmer’s scrambled 73rd-minute equaliser denied Colchester victory and they stay sixth in the League Two table.

McGreal said: “We’re frustrated we didn’t get the win.

“Crawley have come with a game plan and a shape change.

“It wasn’t a great spectacle and the pitch has got no life in it at the minute.

“We got a good goal and you’re hoping that you can build on it and possibly go for two but I just felt at times that we possibly came off it a little bit.

“It was a poor goal to give away.

“We put on the board every week to stop crosses which is what division two is about and we haven’t done that.

“Previous to that, we should be playing it down the line which we didn’t – we gave them an easy throw.

“The cross came into the box and we didn’t stop it or defend it and the lad has bundled it in at the back post.

“We scored a really good goal and it got us on the front foot but there’s still so many more minutes to go.

“We wanted to get more goals but they changed it and we gave away a poor goal.

“The shape change helped them but we adapted to it in the second half and got the ball more.

“We were on top and got a good goal and you’re hoping that we would get another one.

“But we didn’t and when it’s 1-0, there’s always a chance of something going against you especially at this level.”

Colchester are now unbeaten in ten league games and have another quick turnaround, as they face bottom club Stevenage on Saturday.

“There’s been a lot of games in quick succession,” said McGreal.

“We tried to get our fans going and help each other but it was a little bit of a New Year’s Day feel and some people have had a heavy New Year’s Eve.

“They’ve come with a game plan to stick it in and around our back four and they’ve done that in the first half.

“But I thought we adapted to that quite well and got hold of the game in the second half.”