Rudi Skacel put through his own net as the Saints had to settle for a point in their Coca-Cola Championship clash with Colchester at St Mary's tonight.

The home side had gone in front seven minutes into the second half when Bradley Wright-Phillips fired home from 10 yards out.

But Skacel levelled matters five minutes later when he could only divert Mark Yeates' shot past his own goalkeeper Kelvin Davis.

Both sides created chances after the goals, but there was to be no winner as the Saints drew for the first time this season.

Saints had the first efforts on goal, but Aidan Davison gathered Youssef Safri's effort at the second attempt before the lively Nathan Dyer fired wide.

But Dyer's contribution at the other end was more crucial minutes later as he used all of his pace to cut out a chance for Kem Izzet after Wayne Thomas had inexplicably given away possession to Kevin Lisbie.

Dyer was at the heart of everything for the home side and he thought he had won a penalty when he latched onto a Grzegorz Rasiak flick-on and knocked the ball past the onrushing Davison before going to ground under the goalkeeper's challenge, but referee Andy D'Urso waved away Dyer's appeals.

But the Us were finding it impossible to keep Dyer out of the game and he fired just wide before crossing for Rasiak but his header was deflected wide for a corner.

Davison then managed to claw away another Rasiak header, before making another smart save to keep out Skacel's precise free-kick.

But Colchester ended the half the stronger and should have taken the lead when Lisbie took advantage of another Thomas error, but he slid his effort wide of the upright from the penalty spot.

Dyer was quickly back into the action in the second half and his run was ended when he was fouled on the edge of the box, and again Davison made a fine save to keep out a Skacel free-kick.

But the veteran Us keeper - recalled in place of Dean Gerken - was picking the ball out of his net seconds later when the resulting corner was cleared to the left and returned to the middle where Wright-Phillips controlled, turned and blasted home from 10 yards out.

However, the lead lasted just five minutes, when good link-up play between Clive Platt and Lisbie ended with the latter playing in Yeates, and his effort across goal was deflected in by the luckless Skacel.

The goal revitalised the Us and Yeates nearly turned provider again, but Lisbie's acrobatic effort went high over the bar.

The lively Dyer continued to be a threat at the other end, and he fired wide from 20 yards as the action really started to heat up.

Skacel blocked another Yeates effort, before he nearly made amends for his own goal by setting up Rasiak, but the Poland striker headed wide.

Rasiak then pulled back for Wright-Phillips, but his shot was blocked by Pat Baldwin as the Saints pressed for a winner, but the Us were not out of it and Davis was called into action to keep out another Yeates shot after the former Spurs man's jinking run.

Wright-Phillips then fired wide again after cutting in from the left, before substitute Adam Hammill curled just wide from 25 yards as the clock ticked down.

But the best chance of the closing stages fell to five-goal top scorer Rasiak, who made himself some space but sent his shot agonisingly wide of the upright.

And at the other end Platt headed straight at Davis from a George Elokobi cross.

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