BEN Garner felt Colchester United’s performance in their friendly draw with Peterborough United this afternoon was another step forward in their preparations for the new League Two season.

The U’s drew 1-1 with their League One opponents at the JobServe Community Stadium, after Noah Chilvers’ second-half penalty cancelled out Jonson Clarke-Harris’s early strike for Posh.

Colchester remain unbeaten in pre-season and boss Garner was pleased with his side’s overall showing against Darren Ferguson’s side.

Garner said: “I thought it was a really good game, especially in the first half.

“Tactically, I thought it was a good game.

“They’ve obviously got a lot of quality in their side and they were close to a League One play-off final last season and I think they’ll be really strong again in League One again, this year.

Gazette:

“It was a really good game for us and I thought we had really good spells in the game.

“At the start of the second half in particular, I thought we were really strong and didn’t quite take the opportunities we had but another good step forward, in terms of our pre-season.”

Colchester battled back well to level in the second half and had their chances to win the game, with Chilvers, Bradley Ihionvien and John Akinde all going close.

Garner said: “We’re going to be strong with how we’re going to play and with what our belief and our identity is.

“These players are going to have to be brave and show courage this season.

“We’re not going to hide away from that.

“We’re going to persist with what we think the right thing to do is.

“We’ll be consistent with our approach and that showed in the game.

Gazette: Donell Thomas

“They had a bit of pressure for a ten-minute spell, in the first half where I didn’t think we were getting close enough, without the ball and we just lost a little bit of discipline, with the ball.

“But as soon as we got that back, we gained control and had some fantastic spells again.

“We’re gong to be persistent with that and get better and better at doing it.”

Chilvers led the way for Colchester after the break, scoring their equaliser and also going close soon after with a rasping long-range effort that was pushed over the bar by the Peterborough keeper.

Gazette:

Garner added: “Noah was a little bit short with his decisions and sharpness in the first half but in the second half, he was fantastic.

“He really kicked on and stepped up – he scored the penalty and had another chance.

“The way we worked it in the final third and the positions we got into in the second half against a really strong League One team was pleasing, so it was another positive step and we just need to keep building now, into the season.”