The start of something really good.

Aidy Boothroyd said his first match in charge of Colchester United confirmed his belief that he can bring good times to the club.

New U’s boss Boothroyd guided his side to a hard-earned 0-0 draw at Southampton in Coca-Cola League One, against the odds.

Colchester battled against adversity, following Kem Izzet’s red card and captain Pat Baldwin being stretchered off, both in the first half.

However, the U’s defended bravely to claim a point - and impress their new manager in the process.

Boothroyd said: “When the whistle went, I had this feeling that it was the start of something really good.

“There are a lot of positives to take.

“It was a very good point, considering what our players had to contend with.

“We had to do an awful lot of defending in the second half and we rode our luck at times but it feels like a win.

“The attitude of our players was absolutely fantastic."

For more on the U's, see today's Gazette.