SAMSON Tovide's 90th-minute equaliser earned Colchester United a hard-earned point after they drew 1-1 at Port Vale tonight.

Tovide turned in from close range after substitute JK Gordon's shot had been parried into his path by goalkeeper Connor Ripley to cancel out Jesse Debrah's second-half header and earn the U's a point at Vale Park.

It was a much improved defensive performance by Colchester and they will feel they deserved their late equaliser, after battling with and containing their high-flying hosts.

Colchester boss Danny Cowley made six changes to his starting line-up, following the heavy defeat at Walsall.

Fiacre Kelleher, Anthony Scully and former Port Vale loanee Aaron Donnelly all made their first league starts of the season for the U’s while Rob Hunt, Arthur Read and Tom Hopper were recalled.

Ben Goodliffe, Mandela Egbo, Jack Payne and Lyle Taylor dropped to the bench and Owura Edwards and Teddy Bishop missed out through injury.

It was a quiet and uneventful first half, with little in the way of goalmouth opportunities for either side in the opening 45 minutes.

(Image: MATT WILKINSON)

Vale were forced into a change on the half hour when George Byers was injured in a challenge and limped off, replaced by Ryan Croasdale, as the home fans got increasingly frustrated with what they perceived to be delaying tactics by the visitors.

Jayden Stockley's close-range header from Tom Sang's cross was plucked out of the air comfortably by Matt Macey but despite nine minutes of time added on at the end of the first half, the teams went in at the break on level terms.

Vale made a triple change at the break in a bid to break the deadlock and the home side went close early in the second half when Stockley controlled before firing over the bar from 20 yards, after substitute Rico Richards' good play had set him up.

Colchester keeper Matt Macey touched over Richards' dipping effort for a corner soon after but the hosts made the all-important breakthrough in the 55th minute.

(Image: MATT WILKINSON)

From another Ethan Chislett corner, substitute Jesse Debrah rose above Donnelly to head powerfully home at the far post and give Vale the lead.

U's boss Cowley made a number of changes after that, in a bid to get back into the game and the visitors enjoyed a greater share of possession, after going behind.

Stockley cleared Tom Flanagan's first-time effort away from near his own goal-line and Read's first-time effort dropped wide of the post from 20 yards, as Colchester pushed for an equaliser.

Vale thought they had scored a second in the 86th minute when substitute Lorent Tolaj had the ball in the net after Macey had made a good save to push away Ronan Curtis's shot but the flag was raised for offside.

But Colchester equalised in the 90th minute when Tovide turned in first time from close range after Gordon's shot had been saved, as Danny Cowley's side earned a point on the road.

MATCH STATS: COLCHESTER UNITED: Macey, Donnelly (sub Payne, 63), Kelleher, Flanagan, Hunt (sub Egbo, 67), Iandolo, Woodyard (sub McDonnell, 63), Read, Scully (sub Taylor, 63), Tovide, Hopper (sub Gordon, 75).

Substitutes (not used): Goodliffe, Smith.

Port Vale: Ripley, Heneghan (sub Richards, 46), Hall, Byers (sib Croasdale, 31), Garrity, Stockley, Chislett (sub Tolaj, 78), Sang (sub Debrah, 46), John, Cover, Hackford (sub Curtis, 46).

Substitutes (not used): Paton, Amos.

Referee: Scott Mather.

Goals: Colchester: Tovide (90). Port Vale: Debrah (55).

Bookings: Colchester: Read (unsporting behaviour, 34), Woodyard (foul, 60), Egbo (unsporting behaviour, 90). Port Vale: Heneghan (foul, 44), John (foul, 63).

Attendance: 4,533 (140 U's fans).