Us boss Geraint Williams was feeling the effects of a 'sting in the tail' after a rough and tumble East Anglian derby, as Danny Granville's late own goal cost his side a place in the Championship safety zone.
It's a feeling Mr Williams will become readily accustomed to should his side fail to escape the clutches of a relegation scrap; rarely does this end of the table offer a comfortable conclusion to a closely-fought encounter such as this.
And on Saturday night there was even one of Williams' own on hand to cruelly twist the knife that little bit further – Jamie Cureton.
The former Us striker, widely-handed at least half the credit for the North Essex club's surprise act last term, took great pleasure when Granville turned into his own net as he applied the pressure at the far post.
But then take a relegation scrap, throw in derby status on top of an ex-player incurring the wrath of the home support and you'd expect a recipe for fireworks.
In truth however, there was rarely an explosive moment to report, and Cureton's former boss was far more concerned with issues still close to home.
?We got within 90 seconds this time, a bit like Plymouth, with a bit of a sting in the tail and unfortunately we've cost ourselves another two points,? said the likeable Us chief, as he gave his own version of Layer Road events.
?I felt we were the team that were going to win it without the match being a classic.
?I thought there was a bit of tension in the game, I don't think it was a great football match, but it was two sides trying very hard to get the win, and we're disappointed because we got ourselves into a winning position and didn't quite hang on to it.?
It was the clinical touch that eluded the home side with both teams lacking that inventive spark; that 'light bulb moment'. Yet Colchester certainly had the chances to put the game beyond their near-neighbours.
On that note, Jon Otsemobor deserves as much credit as any man in Canary colours for the shared spoils, superbly denying a goal-bound Jamie Guy the late opportunity to terminate Norwich hopes.
?There weren't many chances either way, but we did have the chance to kill the game off after we went in front,? confirmed Williams.
?I thought we should have had a penalty when Yeatesy got tripped; obviously Jamie Guy then did really well to get round the 'keeper and you have to give the defender some credit.
?Mark Yeates should have done better with his half chance as well, but it wasn't to be in the end.?
Still, certain footballing myths appeared dispelled at the final whistle – whatever happened to strugglers' luck, or lack of it, as good fortune played its part in both goals.
?Our goal was a funny one because it was a bit of a mis-kick from the set piece, but Macca's got in the box and finished it off.
?But you've got to close the game out, that's about being professional and we've just talked about it in the dressing room – you don't do silly things.
?You kick the ball away, don't try and play in your own box and hope to get the ball in behind the opposition, so we brought young Jamie to run and get ourselves up the pitch.
?Dion Dublin comes on and he's a handful from set pieces,? he went on. ?And we just had one that we couldn't defend properly.
?I wasn't convinced it was a free-kick, but it was given and you have to defend it, decisions go your way at times and other times they don't – I was a bit more aggrieved with the penalty.
?Ultimately we should have defended the free kick better.?
For all City's offensive weapons and experienced heads to bring off the bench, Williams remained unconvinced his 'keeper had truly been tested before the eyes of the Sky-viewing public, but credited his own back line with a step in the right direction.
?Apart from when they hit the post, I think that was all we had to defend, so bitterly disappointed we couldn't just see out the game.
?I feel like that's as well as we've defended and that's what the boys seem more upset about – that we've not been able to keep a clean sheet.
?Of course we learn from every game and we've got to learn to see out the set pieces and make sure we defend properly, but that's a bit harsh because overall across the 90 minutes I thought we defended very well. It's just that we've been caught out and paid for it.
?It looked like one goal would win it because there weren't many chances either way, but we had chances after we scored to kill the game off, which we didn't take.?
In a match of such magnitude – must-win or otherwise – it would have been a massive three points for ColU, and an equally substantial boost for their ailing home form, so contrasting from last season's veil of invincibility at Layer Road.
?We'll never know about that,? was Williams' response, ?But what we do know is that we've just drawn a game that we could have won, maybe should have won so we're not happy with the two points that have slipped away.
?But it's one more to our total and we move on to Queen's Park Rangers next Saturday and look forward to that one.?
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