Colchester climbed out of the relegation zone on goal difference after claiming a 1-1 League Two draw with play-off chasing visitors Walsall.

Walsall’s Jack Earing blasted the ball over early on, while Colchester goalkeeper Owen Goodman denied Taylor Allen, and Liam Gordon’s header was nodded off the line by Tom Dallison.

The visitors took the lead after 37 minutes when Allen finished clinically with a low strike into the far corner from Gordon’s pass, after some good build-up play.

Colchester almost levelled just before half-time when Walsall goalkeeper Jackson Smith pushed away Cameron McGeehan’s strike.

And the U’s equalised soon after the break when McGeehan finished emphatically into the centre of the net after Brad Ihionvien’s cross had only been partially cleared.

Ihionvien was denied by Smith before Colchester squandered a golden opportunity to go ahead in the 54th minute when Noah Chilvers’ penalty was saved, following Jack Earing’s foul on Harry Anderson in the area.

Walsall pressed late on and Goodman denied both Ross Tierney and Earing before the end but the spoils were shared.