Some may point to the fact that Tranmere went into the game minus three key first team players through suspension but the same went for their opponents Colchester who were missing no fewer than ten of their squad for this game yet put up a fight that, it anything entitled them to the three points rather than a very drab home side.

For the fifth successive game in all competitions, Tranmere found themselves ahead inside ten minutes, this time through Eugene Dadi, but the early goal seemed to do little for Tranmere’s game as they appeared to get worse as the game progressed.  The equaliser for the U’s ultimately came just after the hour when Joe Keith headed home to the delight of the small band of travelling fans.

Brian Little made three changes to the team that started last weeks 1-1 draw at Valley Parade and all were changes enforced by suspensions to key personnel.  The players that Little had available left no real option other than to play a 4-4-2 formation with Chris Dagnall replacing Iain Hume as Eugene Dadi’s strike partner.  The return from injury of captain Jason McAteer saw him replace Mark Rankine in the middle of the field and a defensive re-shuffle saw left midfielder David Beresford come into the side to replace Ryan Taylor meaning Gareth Roberts moved to left back and Ian Goodison to right back.

Initially, there was no sign of the performance to come as the game got off to a reasonable start with N’Dumbu-N’Sungu having the first chance of the game for Colchester that fortunately went wide of Achterberg’s goal in the 6^th minute.  Just two minutes later Rovers took a surprise lead as Eugene Dadi latched onto to a ball into the area by McAteer and confused the defender by flicking the ball one side of him and then running around the other side before rounding goalkeeper Gerken to give Rovers the lead.

It was after Tranmere took the lead that their performance seemed to gradually go downhill and its fair to say that from the opening goal onwards, the Whites rarely looked like troubling the Colchester goal for a second time.  In past 4-4-2 games for Rovers, the key to success has been the wingers of Paul Hall on the right and either Beresford or Roberts on the left but with no Ryan Taylor to support Hall on the right and Beresford ineffective on the left, Tranmere offered little in attack for most of the game.

In spite of this though, Rovers still seemed to be the better side for the remainder of the first half and just five minutes before half-time Chris Dagnall raced clear of his marker from halfway but his shot went just over the bar has he closed in on Gerken.  The first half drama wasn’t over then as Colchester’s best chance of the half fell in first half stoppage time.  Joe Keith struck a powerful shot from around 25 yards out which beat Achterberg but crashed off the crossbar and Danns failed to capitalise on the rebound.

With Tranmere 1-0 to the good at half time and news coming through that Luton and Hull were still 0-0, there was some optimism that the day would turn out as many had hoped before hand. However as the second half progressed, Colchester began to look more of a threat and the almost regular scenario these days of Rovers trying to hang on to a lead again became apparent.

On the hour, Colchester hit the Tranmere crossbar for the second time in the match, this time Greg Halford the unlucky player with his cross bouncing away to relative safety.  Three minutes later, Brian Little decided it was time for a change and took off the ineffective David Beresford and replaced him with Theo Whitmore but within two minutes the inevitable equaliser had arrived.  Greg Halford got down the Colchester left and his cross was headed in by Joe Keith for a deserved equaliser.

Steven Jennings and Gary Jones soon replaced Paul Hall and Eugene Dadi in an attempt to get something from the game but as Rovers pushed forward, Achterberg had to keep Tranmere in the game with a couple of good saves including one from the lively Greg Halford.  However it was substitute Gary Jones who missed Rovers best chance to snatch winner in injury time when he headed wide from two yards in front of what appeared to be an open goal.

On reflection a draw was more than the Whites deserved and Colchester can count themselves very unlucky not to have taken three points from this game.  Luton scored a last minute winner against Hull which would have meant that Tranmere, had they won, would have been in second place but after a performance like that a win would have been a great surprise.

Brentford’s 1-0 win at Hartlepool in the FA Cup Fourth Round replay means that Tranmere’s opportunity to bounce back from this result has now been delayed until the home game with Huddersfield on Tuesday week.  Rovers had been due to travel to Brentford in the league next Saturday but this game has yet to be re-arranged following The Bees further involvement in the FA Cup.

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