Half-time: Bristol Rovers 0 Colchester United 0. Bristol Rovers carved out their best chance of the first half just 22 seconds into their clash with Colchester at the Memorial Stadium – but were unable to take it.

Striker Jo Kuffour dragged his angled shot wide from Jeff Hughes' early cross as the Pirates looked to make a lightning start.

The visitors, who arrived in good form, suffered an early blow when they lost former Bristol City striker Steven Gillespie through injury after six minutes.

Rovers threatened from a couple of Stuart Campbell corners, Rickie Lambert seeing one attempt blocked before he headed the next narrowly wide.

Pat Baldwin had to make a smart intervention to thwart Kuffour, while Craig Hinton had to do the same to prevent Colchester target man Clive Platt getting through.

In a first half of few clear openings, the Us thought they had broken the deaslock just before the break. But substitute Scott Vernon was ruled offside as he steered home Alan Maybury's cross from the right.

Bristol Rovers: Phillips, Lescott, Elliott, Hinton, Ryan Green, Lines, Campbell, Disley, Hughes, Kuffour, Lambert. Subs: Jacobson, Duffy, Pipe, Anthony, Hunt.

Colchester: Walker, Tierney, Reid, Baldwin, Maybury, Perkins, Hammond, Izzet, Yeates, Gillespie, Platt. Subs: Cousins, White, Vernon, Gobern, Wordsworth.

Referee: Oliver Langford (W Midlands)