Colchester drew one all at Hull this afternoon with Johnnie Jackson again on the scoresheet.

Colchester United picked up another useful point at the KC Stadium as the battle between the two JJ's ended all square. Colchester's Johnnie Jackson had put the U's in the lead just after the break but Jay-Jay Okocha's free kick was perfect for Frazier Campbell to head past Dean Gerken. It might all have been so different had Kem Izzet not buried a golden chance later in the half as the U's made it four games unbeaten.

U's manager Geraint Williams made one change to the side that had started against Preston North End on Tuesday evening with Scott Vernon replacing Teddy Sheringham up front. Transfer deadline day signing Dean Hammond did make the trip to Hull but was left out of the final sixteen which also saw Bela Balogh, Jamie Guy and Pat Baldwin remain in Essex.

For Hull, former U's captain Wayne Brown was at the heart of the Hull defence but a family bereavement meant that Hull's other former U's man Richard Garcia was back home in Australia. However, in former Bolton & Paris St. Germain Jay-Jay Okocha, they had a more than adequate replacement. Nicky Barmby and Henrik Pedersen also had experience of playing in the top flight.

Hull started off brightly with a couple of early corners that amounted to nothing before Duguid hooked the ball goalwards following Platt's flick-on but could only watch as the ball went wide. Vernon and Duguid then combined together for the latter to swing in a cross which Jackson, arriving late at the far post, might have done better with.

Hull were forced in to an early change as Nicky Barmby had to go off injured to be replaced by Dean Marney and almost immediately Gerken had to be alert to save from the substitute. The U's stopper was also alert as Ian Ashbee tried to head the ball back into the six yard box after a deep free kick.

Just after the half hour mark, a good U's move almost opened up the home side. Vernon, who was at the heart of a lot of good U's things, crossed only for the stretching Clive Platt to head the ball on to the roof of the net. Platt saw his on target shot blocked by a desperate lunge from Pedersen before Okocha's first real moment of danger as he flashed a 30 yard strike wide of the goal.

In the dying seconds of the half, Hull opened up the U's defence for the first time as the home side failed to get to grips with the 4-5-1 formation sent out by manager Phil Brown. Campbell's pace started the move and when he found France with an incisive pass, Gerken stood up strong to deflect the ball off for a corner which came to nothing.

United had to make a change at the break with Adam Virgo - who was having a decent game for the U's - unable to recover from an injury he picked up during the first half and was replaced by Danny Granville.

The second half was just 90 seconds old when the U's opened the scoring thanks to their midfielding scoring machine Johnnie Jackson. If his winner on Tuesday evening was good, this was special as he connected with a Clive Platt knock-down to launch a half-volley that was still rising as it flashed past Myhill and in to the net. The lead was almost immediately reduced though as Gerken had to be alert to prevent Coyne's header from beating him!

The home side did get back in to the game though after 18 minutes of the half thanks to their mercurial winger Jay-Jay Okocha. It was his superb delivery that caused the problems as Campbell got across his marker with a diving header that gave Gerken no chance.

Substitute Marney flicked Rickett's cross on to the top of the net before, with twenty minutes remaining, came the key chance. Kem Izzet, who scored regularly for the club when he arrived from Charlton, found himself with time and space within the Hull penalty area but somehow screwed his right foot effort wide of Myhill's goal.

United defended stoutly for the rest of the half as they gamely held on to a point which was the minimum they deserved. However, four minutes from time it was a former U's player who thought he'd got the winner as Wayne Brown's left foot shot was only kept out by a super save by former team-mate Dean Gerken.

U's: Gerken, Phil Ifil, Chris Coyne, Adam Virgo (Danny Granville 45), John White, Kevin McLeod, Kemal Izzet, Scott Vernon, Karl Duguid, Johnnie Jackson, Clive Platt. Subs not used: Teddy Sheringham, Luke Guttridge, Kevin Watson, and Mark Cousins

Goals: Jackson 46

Bookings: McLeod

Hull City: Boaz Myhill, Samuel Ricketts, Michael Turner, Wayne Brown, Ryan France, Ian Ashbee, Simon Walton (Caleb Folan 45), Nick Barmby (Dean Marney 16), Jay-Jay Okocha, Henrik Pedersen, Frazier Campbell. Subs not used: Nicky Featherstone, Nathan Doyle, and Mark Tyler

Goals: Campbell 64

Bookings: Walton 43, Marney 90

Ref: Peter Walton

Attendance: 15,664

Photo: Action Images

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