Charlie Adam rues Fleetwood ‘off day’ in Colchester stalemate

Charlie Adam admits Fleetwood had an ‘off day’ as they were held to a 0-0 home draw by Colchester.

It was honours even at Highbury Stadium after the Cod Army returned from a three-week fixture break in League Two to share the spoils.

Mark Helm came the closest to breaking the deadlock for Fleetwood when his deflected effort bounced off the crossbar early in the second half, seconds after his fierce 25-yard strike was parried away by Colchester goalkeeper Matt Macey.

But Colchester also had their chances to win it and Fleetwood boss Adam said: “Clean sheet, I think that’s probably the only positive.

“It was a poor game and we looked like we hadn’t played for three weeks. The intensity to press wasn’t there, the distances and gaps were too big.

“We were disappointed and we’ve got a better team than that. We’ll look at it, we’ll make adjustments and we’ll prepare them ready for Doncaster on Wednesday.

“We have to be better with the ball, without the ball – it was a disappointing afternoon.

“These lads have given us everything. We’ve had an off day and we have to improve and we have to get better and we’ll prepare the team, ready to go for the week.

“I think 0-0 was a fair outcome; the way we played, we weren’t good enough with or without the ball.

“There was a bit of hesitation in terms of when to press so as coaching staff, we’ll watch it back, we’ll dust it down and we’ll give the lads the answers on Monday.”

Colchester claimed a ninth league draw of the season but almost won it with the last kick of the game when substitute Oscar Thorn blazed over deep into stoppage time.

Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “For the boys to come through as well as they did, particularly against a team as fresh as Fleetwood who hadn’t played for so long, was amazing really and I just want to celebrate the effort, attitude and togetherness of the group.

“We left Colchester at 8.45am yesterday morning, the M11 gets shut and we arrive at Preston hotel at 5.30pm, so it was one hell of a drive.

“I thought we had really good control, probably the most control we’ve had away from home, all season against a really good Fleetwood team who I anticipate will be right in and around the automatic promotion places come the end of the season.

“We played with a real good level of control, we used the ball well and we had good switches on.

“In the first half, they had to change their system because we just kept getting out and dominating the ball.”