"I DON'T know if a point is enough. It could be a point well-earned at end of the season."

That was the response from Blackpool manager Steve McMahon following the 1-1 draw with Colchester.

But maybe Macca knew things weren't going to go his way when Pool went 1-0 down before three o'clock.

Colchester stunned the visitors with a strike on 59 seconds while the Tangerine midfield and defence settling into the match.

Joe Dunne fired the ball upfield and Karl Duguid raced through and lobbed the ball over Phil Barnes.

Despite the early setback Pool's performance was outstanding. They took time to get back into the game, but were the stronger side, controlling the midfield.

Richard Wellens, in his first full start for the Seasiders, gave a solid display and Kevin Richardson did a sterling job motivating the side.

Wellens supplied a beautiful cross across the face of goal on 16 minutes, but no one was on hand to meet it.

And the plucky midfielder stormed through on the half hour with a fantastic solo run, which unfortunately bore no fruition. Wellens was all over the pitch and his 25-yarder on 55 minutes was superbly saved by Simon Brown.

But it was James Thomas, pictured here, who broke the deadlock ten minutes later.

The Tangerines had been given a new lease of life in the second-half by the arrival of Mike Newell. Tommy Jaszczun crossed from the left after a long period of Tangerine pressure and Thomas headed in.

The new three-striker system worked well and Pool took control of the match with Richarson blasting the ball into the side-netting and Wellens firing over with three minutes to go.

But the threat from Colchester was still there and it took a great piece of defending from Clark Carlisle to save the point in the dying seconds after a mix-up with Barnes.

After the match, McMahon said: "We've come a long way to Colchester and it's not an easy place to come to. Their keeper kept them in it in the second-half.

"Mike Newell made a difference when we changed it around at half-time. We pressured them more.

"The game kicked off early on Saturday afternoon and it wasn't even three o'clock when we were1-0 down -- I wish he'd just kept it as a three o' clock kick off!

"But we don't look a bottom four team. If we come away and get good results, I'm happy with it."