Colchester United 0 Carlisle United 0: Carlisle battled their way to a point at Colchester in a game of two halves in Essex.

Mike Williamson's side had much the better of the first half with Josh Vela going close to an opening goal.

Carlisle were then on the defensive for most of the second half, surviving a great Jack Payne chance as they withstood strong home pressure to earn a draw.

It was a fourth point and second clean sheet in two away games as United bounced back from successive home defeats.

They remain third bottom of League Two with seven points at the ten-game mark, the game unfolding in front of 352 travelling fans in a 4,392 crowd at the JobServe Community Stadium. 

Williamson made two changes to his side from the midweek defeat to Notts County, with Harrison Neal and Charlie Wyke coming back into the XI.

They took the places of Dominic Sadi, who dropped to the bench, and Jordan Jones, who was out of the squad.

Hosts Colchester made three changes as Payne, Mandela Egbo and Lyle Taylor came into their side, replacing Fiacre Kelleher, Anthony Scully and Aaron Donnelly.

Both sides failed to take good chances in the opening stages.

After Payne had hit the wall with a free-kick, the Colchester midfielder found Egbo with another set-piece but the defender headed over.

A better chance then came when Taylor and Arthur Read combined to put Samson Tovide behind the United defence to the left, but the frontman's finish was unconvincing as he curled into the side-netting.

It was then Carlisle's turn to go close as Vela broke clean through, only to be denied by home keeper Matt Macey.

United built further attacks well as a dominant spell unfolded, Harrison Biggins almost setting up Luke Armstrong, before Neal had a powerful shot blocked.

Carlisle's increasingly controlled spell, with Wyke the linchpin for their counter-attacks, meant Colchester's own opportunities were limited, a long-range Taylor attempt blocked by Biggins as the Blues kept the hosts at bay.

More good work from United saw Cameron Harper cut the ball into the box for Vela, whose shot was blocked.

Colchester almost caught Carlisle against the run of play when Payne got in front of Harper to meet a Tovide cross, but the midfielder volleyed wide.

United continued to have the lion's share of possession as they looked for an opening, keeping the hosts in their own half for long spells and, by the halfway point, plenty of grounds to be encouraged.

Colchester made a double change at the break, Gordon on against his former club on the left of the home attack, with defender Kelleher also introduced.

And ten minutes into the second half the Cumbrians needed a sharp Harry Lewis save to keep out a deflected Payne shot.

Carlisle and their fans were unhappy with some of ref Thomas Parsons' decisions, and were on the defensive until the hour mark.

But United then broke well and forced a corner, which saw Sam Lavelle head over the bar.

That, though, was the last of Carlisle's chances with the last half-hour very much spent in their own territory.

A double change for the Blues saw Sadi introduced along with Jack Robinson, who came on for his first appearance of the season on the right of the defence.

Lewis denied Taylor, and then the hosts missed a big chance when Taylor gave Carlisle the slip to supply Payne, who turned past Lavelle but shot wide from a great position.

Mellish, after an early booking, was then given a final warning by ref Parsons after a foul on Taylor, and was soon replaced by Ben Barclay for the final 20 minutes.

Colchester were now firmly on the attack and another excellent Lewis save denied Read when the midfielder took aim from 25 yards.

United had more defending to do, clearing a Gordon cross and blocking a Tovide shot, then Gordon hit a shot high over the bar after a Colchester free-kick broke his way.

Deep in added time a Harper corner almost picked out Wyke but that was the final act of the game as Carlisle took a point home to Cumbria.

Colchester: Macey, Iandolo, Flanagan, Hunt, Egbo (Kelleher 46), Payne, Hopper (Gordon 46), Read, Woodyard (McDonnell 76), Tovide, Taylor. Not used: Smith, Anderson, Scully, Donnelly.

Booked: McDonnell, Flanagan.

United: Lewis, Thomas, Lavelle, Mellish (Barclay 72), Davies (Robinson 64), Harper, Neal, Vela, Biggins, Armstrong (Sadi 64), Wyke. Not used: Breeze, Ellis, Dudik, O’Donoghue.

Booked: Mellish, Harper, Neal.

Ref: Thomas Parsons.

Crowd: 4,392 (352 Carlisle fans).