FOOTBALL: THE Sky Blues missed a golden opportunity to jump back into the playoff frame after being held to a goalless draw against Colchester at the Ricoh Arena.
Saturday’s draw marked the fourth League Two fixture on the spin where the Sky Blues failed to register a goal.
And manager Mark Robins admitted talk about his side’s lack of goalscoring will only worsen the situation as his players ‘can’t handle the pressure’.
The draw leaves the Sky Blues eighth in the League Two table, one point short of seventh placed Swindon and five points behind third placed Accrington Stanley.
Chances for Ryan Haynes – who made his return to the first team – and Marc McNulty went begging as Robins was left to reflect on another disappointing result.
Even when Colchester were reduced to ten-men, following the sending off of skipper Tom Lapslie, the Sky Blues failed to make an impression on goal.
To make things worse, the influential Jodi Jones was forced off the field through injury – meaning Jordan Shipley linked up with Ryan Haynes on the left side.
And it was Shipley who missed a clear cut chance to gift the Sky Blues the lead during the opening moments of the second half when Jack Grimmer’s cross left Shipley with a gaping goal in front of him.
But Colchester keeper Walker was to react and got a strong hand to the ball.
Colchester’s first real chance of the game came with 20 minutes to go.
A foul on Tom Lapsie gave Sean Murray a chance to float a set-piece into the area, but Lee Burge was able to keep out Ryan Inniss’ cross.
Lapslie was then sent off with 15 minutes remaining, but efforts from Haynes and Nazon were pushed wide as the Sky Blues were forced to settle for a point.
Robins said: “The lads are snatching at chances.
“I have got to change the way they are thinking.
“We are not creating enough when we are under no threat what-so-ever.
“It has been a bad week.
“But it is something that we wil overcome without a shadow of a doubt.”
The extend to Jodi Jones’ injury, picked up during the first half, is currently unknown.
Robins added: “It was an impact on the side of the leg knee. At the moment we do not know.
“He will be a huge loss because he is a talent.
“It might do him good to have a little breather. He is 19-years-old. You cannot maintain that level of performance week in week out at that age.”
