Steve Whitton is girding his loins for a battle after watching his Colchester United team slip into the Second Division's bottom four.

The worried U's boss saw his team throw away three points at fellow strugglers Swindon Town after the Wiltshire club gifted them a two-goal lead soon after half-time.

Swindon went on to snatch a valuable point with two goals inside as many minutes just past the hour mark.

Whitton said: "It's incredible that we win a point away from home, but drop down a place in the table.

"It feels like we lost this game and from two goals in front we should have gone on and killed Swindon off.

"At any other time of the season, a 2-2 away draw would have been a great result, but the position we're in and playing against a side down at the bottom worse off than us, we should have finished the job off."

The U's had big Swindon keeper Bart Griemink's appalling errors to thank for their two goals, although Scott McGleish's challenge and Thomas Pinault's clinical finish for the second one on 49 minutes were out of the top drawer.

McGleish netted the first and his first for the season from close range after just 90 seconds as the tall Dutch keeper allowed a Sam Stockley free-kick to squirm under his body.

It was only the second goal scored by a U's striker in 14 League and cup outings 1,172 minutes.

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Published Monday October 14, 2002

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