DANNY Cowley has revealed he issued a half-time challenge to his Colchester United players to show what they stand for as they battled back to draw 3-3 with Forest Green Rovers this afternoon.

The U's went in at the break trailing 2-0 at the JobServe Community Stadium, after first-half goals from Matty Stevens and Christian Doidge put League Two's bottom side in control.

However, three goals in the space of five minutes from Alistair Smith, Jayden Fevrier and Harry Anderson turned the match around for the U's after the break, before Dominic Thompson salvaged a point for the visitors.

READ MORE: Match report as U's play out a thrilling draw with Forest Green

Cowley said: "I don't like not winning at home.

"I didn't like us first half, I don't think we were anywhere near aggressive enough in our play, I don't think we won enough duels.

"I thought we tried to play too precise and it's difficult to play like that on this pitch.

"To play with more freedom, you have to play quicker and without the hesitation.

"You have to accept that you might lose it and be really, really reactive and aggressive, to win the ball back on the counter press movement and we didn't do that, in the first half.

"The first two goals came because we fell off the tackles in midfield, they didn't get the free-kick, the defensive line was too deep, they get the penalty.

Gazette:

"OK, it might be soft but the second (goal), it's in the middle of the pitch, we have possession, we lose it, we fell off a duel and they drive down the middle of the pitch.

"We gave ourselves a mountain to climb and I said to the players at half-time, 'you choose at this moment what we stand for' because you either become the victim or the fighter.

"On October 19th, this team lost 5-0 to Forest Green and that day, I saw a lot of victims.

"I watched that game before I took the job, because I wanted to see maybe the team and their players at their worst to understand whether I could help them or not. 

READ MORE: Colchester United 3 Forest Green Rovers 3 - as it happened

“In the second half, I saw fighters and it’s a given when you’re 2-0 down at home to go and run around and go and tackle and put your body on the line, so I’m not commending them for that.

“But I am congratulating them for the bravery that they showed and the willingness to go and get on the ball and try to play forward.

“In the second half, we got in a brilliant position in the game, scored three quick goals and were 3-2 up.

“You know the boxer that has their opponent on the ropes and have hit three really decisive punches and then we just let them off – we said ‘back to the middle of the ring and you can have some time to recover’.

“Our mentality has to be fourth goal as we’re 3-2 up and we had all of the momentum and were by far the better team.”