The Bluebirds made the trip to Layer Road to try and put a perfect end to a perfect week with some superb but different performances.
Layer Road is always a difficult place to go with a pitch on a slope and a crowd right on top of you - and today was no different.
In the end a hard fought draw with the Bluebirds down to ten men after the dismissal of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink for a challenge on Dean Gerken.
Paul Parry gave City the perfect start with a well taken goal, as he drove his shot left footed past a helpless Gerken.
It was the start everyone wanted and it looked like the Bluebirds would complete a perfect week.
City had further chances in the first half to put the game past Colchester Paul Parry missed a header and Peter Whittingham had a volley that he should have done better with.
Dave Jones must have thought that at half time a job well done but the turning point came in the 62nd minute when Jimmy saw red for what looked like a standard challenge of the U's goalkeeper. Mr Wright from Cambridgeshire however thought differently and gave Jimmy an early shower.
It wasn't long before Colchester got right back in the game with the man advantage. Johnnie Jackson hit what turned out to be the equaliser after a corner wasn't properly cleared and Jackson fired home from a Karl Duguid corner.
It was backs against walls stuff and the Bluebirds showed their team spirited with another gritty defensive display to hold out for a point in the end.
They say goals change games but in this instance it was a decision that moved this from three points to hold on for one.
Dave Jones will get his squad together this week with no interruptions in fixtures and the mouth watering fixture against local rivals Bristol City on Saturday.
Final Score
Colchester 1 Cardiff 1
Colchester: Gerken, Ifil, Heath, Virgo, White (Vernon 84), Duguid, Hammond, Jackson, Elito (Wordsworth 87), Lisbie, Platt.
Subs Not Used: Bankole, Balogh, Izzet.
Goals: Jackson 71.
Cardiff: Enckelman, Blake, Johnson, Loovens, Capaldi, Whittingham (Sinclair 66), Rae, Ramsey (Scimeca 77), Ledley (Thompson 78), Hasselbaink, Parry.
Subs Not Used: Oakes, Purse.
Sent Off: Hasselbaink (62).
Booked: Blake.
Goals: Parry 11.
Att: 4,699
Ref: Kevin Wright (Cambridgeshire
