VERDICT: Bantams' bogey ground strikes again after late draw

YOU know that feeling when you get halfway through a film and realise you’ve seen it before and can remember the ending.

That’s what it felt like in the aftermath of Colchester’s late gut-punch that flattened City.

This was nothing new. Colchester away never fails to disappoint.

The travelling City fans – a hugely impressive 642 of them – had witnessed such late pain before.

Two seasons ago, Mark Hughes stood in the same spot as a stunned Graham Alexander and looked on is disbelief as the home side celebrated a late, late goal from a set-piece.

It was even the same referee, West Sussex official Carl Brook, as before.

And Jamie McDonnell’s last-gasp header means it is now just the one win in the last eight visits to this inhospitable corner of north Essex.

City and their long-suffering supporters certainly feel every mile of that trek back up the A1.

On the balance of play, Colchester were entitled to their share of the spoils.

In fact, U’s boss Danny Cowley was left a bit peeved that they had not doubled their win tally having had so much of the ball – twice as much as the Bantams.

City could argue that they had followed Alexander’s gameplan to the letter.

After the recent away woes, where conceding in slow starts had proved their downfall, the backdoor had been kept firmly bolted and guarded.

The clock was touching 5pm when Sam Walker steadied himself to collect a deep cross swung in from the left.

A solid claim from the keeper would have surely put the lid on Colchester’s comeback hopes.

But the ball had a bit more on it than Walker initially expected and he was forced to back-pedal and tip over his bar to make sure.

What had looked a routine catch suddenly became one final corner – and the opportunity for Colchester to throw the kitchen sink into the City box.

After 98 minutes, the visitors had one more cross to deal with; one more ball to clear.

And one more man to mark as Colchester’s towering keeper Matt Macey joined the fray to throw a dollop of jeopardy into proceedings.

Whether his unexpected presence upset their defensive equilibrium, City had no excuses for failing to pick up Jamie McDonnell lurking at the far post.

It was too late by the time Walker realised the obvious danger of the free man and the close-range header from the unhindered midfielder flashed past his desperate dive.

City were condemned to a fourth game without a win – although they bizarrely jumped two places in this ridiculous division into eighth spot.

But the win that got away would have seen them back in the play-off places and the timing of the equaliser felt like the most painful concession of the season to date.

Andy Cook is mobbed by team-mates after scoring again (Image: Thomas Gadd)

True, Andy Cook’s 11th goal of the season that had given them the advantage for well over an hour was City’s only shot on target.

They accumulated just 13 touches in the home box compared with Colchester’s 33 in their own. Macey did not have a save to make.

But ugly away wins are the cornerstone of good seasons; forgettable encounters that are only notable for the points pocketed at the final whistle.

City had done a professional job against a side whose attacking threats bely their lowly position – especially with the half-time introduction of the pacy and powerful Samson Tovide.

Lyle Taylor we know all about down the years, having broken Bantams hearts in previous guises with Wimbledon and Charlton.

Together, they were a handful for the back three but City had stuck to the task and, just about, seen it through.

The frustration was compounded by the fact that Colchester equalised during the lengthy time tacked on for a late shoulder injury to Lewis Richards.

The left wing-back was on oxygen in the dressing room after the game as Alexander faced up to yet another potential absentee.

With Tyreik Wright already sidelined to the new year, that’s another position which has potentially been stripped to the bone. How’s your luck?

City had been boosted by Jack Shepherd’s return from suspension allowing a much better fit to their line-up after Fleetwood.

Richards reverted to his more natural role while Olly Sanderson got the nod to back up Cook.

But again, there was not enough attacking support for City’s top scorer.

Richie Smallwood went the closest to adding to his opener with a bending shot past the post.

Otherwise, the only other threat had been Cook’s header wide from a corner before his goal.

City’s breakthrough on the half hour was classic Cook quick-thinking.

Bobby Pointon, playing the 50th time for his beloved club, and Jamie Walker cleverly worked a short corner.

Walker’s drilled cross was blocked as far as Pointon whose fierce shot deflected into the path of the number nine. There was only ever going to be one outcome as he whisked the ball into the bottom corner.

Olly Sanderson started up front but got little out of Colchester (Image: Thomas Gadd)

After Smallwood went close, the City skipper was at the centre of a fierce debate when he lunged into Taylor in his own penalty area.

Cowley screamed for the foul but the referee saw nothing wrong and was booed off the pitch at half-time.

Tovide’s introduction at the break saw Colchester switch tactics to try and utilise his speed in behind the Bantams backline.

Walker stood up to one such raid that threw off Brad Halliday but otherwise Colchester could not turn their greater possession into genuine chances.

Not that much was going the other way with City, wounded by recent setbacks on the road, reluctant to risk losing their shape by pushing too many forward chasing a second.

The unwanted sight of Richards being helped round the perimeter of the pitch, his left arm supported by medical staff, meant another late defensive reshuffle.

Fourth official Anthony Da Costa left the visitors feeling blue when he flashed up 10 minutes of added time on the board.

That transformed the Colchester crowd and team; an unexpected time bonus to find a late leveller as they had done at Barrow the previous week.

Sure enough, that turned out to be the plotline; a predictably deflating finale for those from West Yorkshire.