IT WONT be a Boxing Day that will live long in the memory but Saints had to be satisfied with the point they took from Colchester.

On the positive side they could be satisfied because they have struggled so badly at small, tight grounds like Layer Road over the past few years.

On recent form it wouldn't have been any surprise had Saints come and lost this game.

But they could only be satisfied because they could have won it, even not at their best they again bossed possession but struggled to create chances for much of the game.

Again the defence, reshuffled for the first time in four games, was solid, while the midfield kept the ball reasonably well but only Andrew Surman showed a real spark in the final third.

Up front it was a bit of a struggle for Bradley Wright-Phillips, while Stern John looked a little subdued as he has done for the last couple of weeks.

It's another result that is acceptable on its own, but should have been taken in the context of a pair of games.

Three points against Preston would have made this a good point, instead it only looks all right.

Saints got a let off after eight minutes when Kevin Lisbie got through on goal.

However, his finish wasn't the best and was across Kelvin Davis but also the far post.

When Saints managed to create their first opening they took it, albeit with a bit of luck.

Youssef Safri tried to spread the ball out to the right wing only to see it intercepted by Danny Granville but the ball ricocheted into the path of John.

He got his head down and ploughed on towards goal and tried to pick out Dean Gerken's far corner.

However, he didn't hit his shot cleanly and it gave Jhon Viafara time to steal in at the far post and tap the ball home with Colchester appealing in vain for offside.

The rest of the half was not awash with chances.

For Saints, Bradley Wright-Phillips' shot from distance went wide.

Colchester came the closest in injury time when Davis failed to deal with a high free kick and the ball fell to Pat Baldwin.

He swung a leg at it ten yards out but Jason Euell was on the line and managed to get it away.

In the second half the game was fairly stop-start, Saints trying to keep playing but getting bogged down at times by a picky referee.

They got off to the worst possible start when Colchester grabbed an equaliser just two minutes into the second period.

Mark Yeates got the ball in from the right, Kevin Lisbie won it at the far post and Clive Platt was on hand to bundle it home at the near post.

After that things were fairly tight at the back again for Saints and it was they who looked the more likely side to get a winner.

They showed plenty of ambition but only Wright-Phillips' effort that Gerken turned wide required saving until the final minutes.

Saints did have a penalty appeal for handball waved away.

Surman lobbed the ball into the path of Grzegorz Rasiak and it appeared Adam Virgo stopped the Polish striker by handling but it wasn't given.

The introduction of Rasiak looked to give Saints a cutting edge up front and they could easily have got the three points.

With three minutes remaining Wayne Thomas chipped the ball in from the right and Rasiak met it. It was a bullet header but fairly straight and Gerken was alive and dived to tip it over the bar.

The keeper truly excelled himself two minutes later when he produced an unbelievable save to keep his side level.

This time it was Andrew Davies with a header that was looping into the far corner.

It looked for all the world as if it was going to drop into the net but somehow Gerken got back and clawed it off the line.

Davies picked up the loose ball and after a scramble Rasiak turned it home from close range only to see the flag up for offside.

However, for all their endeavour, Saints almost lost it at the death as well.

Yeates crossed from the right for Johnnie Jackson who headed goalwards.

The ball went straight into the ground and with Davis unsure as to how it would bounce he turned it over the bar.

While Saints are now showing a steely resolve at the back, they are struggling to shake their problems in front of goal but could do with another win on the board as soon as possible.