The Fleet were unfortunate not to chalk up a win against a strong Colchester United side after taking the lead in the second-half and weathering an attacking display by the visitors in the first.

A Rakish Bingham brace either side of half-time put the home side in the driving seat but a cheeky lobbed goal saved Colchester’s blushes as it finished honours even.

Former Colchester goalkeeper Mark Cousins started for the Fleet, who also counted Darren McQueen also once on the U’s books – and on the other side John Akinde returned to the club where he first made his senior breakthrough.

Colchester posed the first questions when Akinde beat Christian N’Guessan down the Fleet right and crossed but Alan Judge’s effort was pulled wide of Mark Cousins and Freddie Sears couldn’t keep the ball on target.

And Cousins had to leap across to keep a well-struck free-kick out as it homed in on the target and smacked the crossbar courtesy of the Fleet goalkeeper’s excellent instinctive save. Cousins earned more applause as he turned that save into a double, reacting to the follow-up shot as well with remarkable speed.

The League Two side were certainly strong on and off the ball and their pressure paid off in the 12th minute when the busy Sears and Judge cut through the middle after a Fleet header went awry and the ball was back heeled into the path of Noah Chilvers to divert past Cousins.

There was confusion in the Fleet defence on 15 minutes that almost extended Colchester’s lead but that effort snuck just over and dropped behind Cousins’ goal.

Fleet’s first good opportunity came on 19 minutes when Greg Cundle exchanged passes down the left with Bingham and received the return pass into the box but he was squeezed out by the covering defender. A similar move between Dominic Poleon and Joe Martin ended the same way.

Cousins punched a deep cross from Junior Tchamadeu towards Akinde away before a much-needed drinks break on what was a very hot afternoon slowed things a little. Fleet were back into action quickly and Josh Wright fired a Poleon touch over the bar from 20 yards before Craig Tanner and Wright combined well on the break on 35 minutes but Bingham’s resulting shot was blocked.

Colchester’s chances were fewer as the half neared its end but Chilvers fired low with one purposeful attack before Poleon released Cundle at the other end but his shot was deflected and lost power. Fleet weren’t to be denied for long when a brilliant training-ground routine corner skipped past two Fleet players, allowing Bingham to run in and drive a low curling shot into the side of the net for the equaliser.

The second half was six minutes old when Freddie Sears might have done better from Cousins’ misplaced clearance but he returned the ball wide of the target.

But after that Fleet really upped the ante to keep Colchester on the back foot. There was a brilliant run and lay-off by Cundle, combining with Poleon, and the Fleet No.15 retrieved the pass to fire off a great shot that was very well palmed away by Sam Hornby.

Fleet took the lead just past the hour mark, great work in midfield by Christian N’Guessan robbing possession and he moved forward to skilfully work his way past a defender to slide a pass across to Bingham. The goalscorer doubled his tally with a precise, low effort beyond Hornby.

The red shirts continued to press and Luke O’Neill arrowed a low shot across goal, hitting a Colchester heel that diverted it behind and just wide for a corner.

But the U’s equalised on 67 minutes when a long ball forward from goalkeeper Hornby was flicked on by Akinde; it cleared Chris Solly and landed for Sears who sent a sublime lob over the stranded Cousins.

Home fans were vociferous in claiming a penalty when Ben Chapman cut into the box and went to ground in a challenge with Hornby. At the other end Akinde stormed onto a cross from Luke Hannant but couldn’t quite connect in the six-yard box.

The Fleet asked the final questions with some excellent football down the left. Omari Sterling-James began it, finding Trialist A on the byline and he cut the ball back for Bingham whose effort was smothered by Hornby to deny him a hat-trick and Fleet a win.

And there it ended, a very good draw for the Fleet against a Colchester side gearing up for their first EFL League Two fixture next weekend.

EUFC: Cousins, O’Neill, Solly, Martin (Finney 75), N’Guessan, Wright (Monlouis 62), Cundle (Sterling-James 75), McQueen (Chapman 65), Tanner (Trialist A 46), Poleon, Bingham (Romain 87).
CUFC: Hornby, Tchamadeu, Chambers, Eastman, Clampin, Miranda, Judge, Hannant, Chilvers, Sears, Akinde
Attendance: 556