It’s going to be a long winter - Roeder

CHRIS LAKEY

Glenn Roeder found compensation for City's disappointing performance at Layer Road - with the reward of a point after a performance that was well below par.

Both teams had made heavy weather of it until Kevin McLeod's goal on 79 minutes set up a grand finale, with Danny Granville putting through his own net a minute from time to earn Norwich a point.

“The way the game has panned out with Colchester scoring as late as they did and us equalising even later you'd have to say it is a point gained,” said the City boss. “Pleased with a point, disappointed that we didn't do better because we can do a lot better, and you know that.”

“Recently we have passed the ball really well; against Sheffield United last week the first 45 minutes was the best we had played since I joined the club. We shifted the ball really slickly and well and I thought we would do that today and we didn't.

“But the one thing I will not allow anyone to say against this group of players that I have worked with over the last six weeks is that they don't give everything. They try and try and try again, and it was only that commitment and drive and determination that got us that equaliser. They won't give in, they know me now, they know my style, the way I want things and the one thing is that I have told them that we can do better, we will do better but the one thing is they will never give in, they will fight all the way and it was that fight that got us the point, an important point.”

City are still above the drop zone, but Roeder maintains it's going to be a long winter.

“No one wants to be in that bottom three, we certainly don't want to, we want to climb a lot, lot higher,” he said. “I said when I came here there would be many ups and down through a long winter and nothing is going to be remedied overnight.

“We came here on the back of four wins out of five, we know that it is now four wins, a draw and a defeat and we're doing very, very nicely at the moment. But it is a long winter. We are not just going to clear the relegation situation with those six performance. We know we have to keep going and we have to keep picking up points. Sometimes we get three, sometimes we will only take a point, like today.”

Aside from the penalties there were only occasional moments of anxiety for the defences, although Roeder admitted he had spoken to Jason Shackell at half-time.

“Overall I thought Shackell did better in the second half - I thought the first half he allowed (Clive) Platt to dominate him a little,” he said. “But I told him at half-time and he did a lot better in the second half, but overall they created a few chances.

“There was one wonderful save off the keeper, but then I expect that off of him, a great save, it really was. The we missed a couple; the header from Darel Russell - which he is really upset about, he's inside the six-yard box, a free header, empty net and he has hit the post and he's looking for his first goal this year for us.

“He is hugely disappointed, but I said to him there will be another day when a chance like that will come along and you will score. I just hope when it comes it will just help us get three points.”