Match Report

A dramatic injury-time goal secured Southend United a share of the spoils against Colchester United in the Essex derby.

The Shrimpers threw away a 2-0 lead to allow the U's to take a 3-2 lead, but Adam Barrett bundled the ball home three minutes into stoppage time to earn a point.

The home side took the lead in the eighth minute when Dan Harding floated in a free-kick from the right to the far post, where Peter Clarke beat U's keeper Dean Gerken from 15 yards.

And the hosts doubled their advantage in the 13th minute when Lee Sawyer crossed from the right flank, Alex Revell failed to make proper contact but Francis Laurent slid the ball home from six yards.

Colchester struggled to find an opening and saw Dean Hammond hit the sidenetting, before Scott Vernon controlled well but then flashed a shot wide of the left post.

But the visitors reduced the deficit after 35 minutes when Johnnie Jackson's free-kick from 25 yards took a deflection off the five-man wall and beat Adam Federici's dive to the right.

The goal lifted Colchester, who saw Mark Yeates denied by Federici before the same player hit the crossbar.

A scrappy second half saw few chances. The best was an early David Perkins' shot from the left which was held at the near post by Federici.

But all that changed when Yeates equalised for Colchester on 71 minutes. Perkins' run went unchecked and he passed to Yeates, who rode several tackles before rifling the ball past a diving Federici from just inside the box.

And the U's went ahead in the 81st minute when unmarked substitute Anthony Wordsworth headed John White's centre from the right in at the far post, seven minutes after coming on.

Christophe grabbed the late equaliser when Kevin Betsy's left-wing corner was nodded on by Clarke and the French midfielder bundled the ball over the line.

Corners

Fouls

Goal attempts

Shots off target

Offsides