Exeter City manager Matt Taylor on Colchester United draw

The U’s had to be satisfied with a point in the top-of-the-table clash, extending their unbeaten League Two run to 15 matches.

It was the second draw between the two sides in less than four weeks, following the game between them last month which finished 2-2, at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Former U’s loanee Taylor said: “There was nothing to separate us at their place and nothing between us here.

“There’s a lot to admire about Colchester – they promote their youth similar to ourselves and they’ve got some athletic players and some good players on the ball.

“Two good games against them – we’re probably slightly disappointed not to take more points from the games – but they were competitive games, no side took a backwards step and hopefully both teams are fighting at the top of the table near the end of the season.”

Both sides had chances to win the game, with the likes of Callum Harriott and Harry Pell going close for Colchester and Archie Collins and Nicky Law almost breaking the deadlock for Exeter.

“There were two good teams going at it,” said Taylor.

“I felt we started the game really well and probably had our best chances within the first five minutes of the first-half and then they came back into it strongly.

“If I had to nit-pick a little bit, our delivery and our use of the ball wasn’t good enough at times.

"That was probably due to the pressure they put us under and an intensity we could match in most areas but it meant that when we won the ball back, we had to use it better than we did.

“That would have meant there was less space on the pitch for them to utilise because they’ve got some very good attacking players.

“Second half, a much-improved performance, still probably a game where both teams were cancelling each other out to a certain extent – we might have had the odd chance towards the end, I felt we were getting stronger as the game went on but it wasn’t to be.”