Tom Eastman grabbed a late equaliser to earn Colchester a point at Bournemouth.

The Cherries' opener came when Scott Malone chipped through to Scott MacDonald, who calmly slotted home his first league goal for the club.

Bournemouth could have settled it when Mark Cousins fumbled Marc Pugh's corner but Malone struck the follow-up effort against the post.

The U's made them pay when Eastman turned home Michael Rose's cross to secure a point for the visitors.

VIEWS FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Bournemouth caretaker manager Paul Groves told BBC Radio Solent:

"The disappointing thing is that you want to give the home fans something to get behind.

"You want to force the game and play with energy and put them on the back foot but we weren't able to do that and that's something we have to look at.

"We didn't take the limited opportunities that we had and that makes it a difficult afternoon in the end."

Colchester United manager John Ward told BBC Essex:

"There's a player [Zavon Hines] in an offside position, he's two yards ahead of my back four. He goes to play the ball, he leaves it because there's another player who's not offside who comes into that position.

"The bottom line is he's in the penalty box area and he's in an offside position, and we're looking for a flag that didn't come.

"The rules can be shifted around to make sure that is the correct decision. There's nothing we can do about it, we can't chalk it off.

"I can't talk about anything else other than the fact that my team did well to recover from that."

Lineup, Bookings (1) & Substitutions (6)

Bournemouth

  • 23 Flahavan
  • 03 Cook
  • 18 Francis
  • 22 Malone
  • 34 Addison
  • 04 Cooper (Gregory - 66' )
  • 07 Pugh
  • 11 Daniels (Zubar - 81' )
  • 16 MacDonald
  • 09 Thomas
  • 30 Hines (McDermott - 76' )

Substitutes

  • 01 Jalal
  • 40 Zubar
  • 15 Gregory
  • 32 McDermott
  • 14 Taylor

Colchester

  • 12 Cousins
  • 04 Okuonghae
  • 18 Eastman
  • 20 Wilson
  • 25 White
  • 10 Izzet (Odejayi - 64' )
  • 14 Bond Booked
  • 22 Wordsworth
  • 27 Duguid (Rose - 31' )
  • 09 Gillespie (James - 75' )
  • 16 Henderson

Substitutes

  • 03 Rose
  • 08 O'Toole
  • 23 James
  • 11 Sears
  • 15 Odejayi
Ref: Attwell
Att: 5,109

Match Stats

Shots

12 15

On target

6 7

Corners

8 5

Fouls

6 7

Live Text Commentary

94:25 Full time

Full Time The referee brings the game to a close.

90:00 +4:07

Foul by Miles Addison on Magnus Okuonghae, free kick awarded. Mark Cousins takes the free kick.

90:00 +3:19

Direct free kick taken by Scott Malone. The ball is sent over by Marc Pugh, John White makes a clearance. A cross is delivered by Simon Francis.

90:00 +3:19 Booking

Booking Andy Bond is shown a yellow card for dissent.

90:00 +3:02

Brian Wilson concedes a free kick for a foul on Wesley Thomas.

90:00 +2:05

Stephane Zubar takes a shot. Save made by Mark Cousins.

90:00 +1:13

The ball is delivered by Andy Bond.

89:54

Donal McDermott sends in a cross, clearance made by John White. Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Marc Pugh from the right by-line.

89:35

Andy Bond produces a cross, clearance by Shaun MacDonald.

89:03

The assistant referee signals for offside against Wesley Thomas. Mark Cousins takes the indirect free kick.

87:30

Simon Francis gives away a free kick for an unfair challenge on Ian Henderson. Michael Rose has a direct shot on goal from the free kick.

86:44

The ball is sent over by Lloyd James.

83:59

Assist on the goal came from Michael Rose.

83:59 Goal scored

Goal - Tom Eastman - Bournem'th 1 - 1 Colchester Goal scored by Tom Eastman from close range to the bottom left corner of the goal. Bournemouth 1-1 Colchester.

81:39

Anthony Wordsworth fouled by Miles Addison, the ref awards a free kick. Anthony Wordsworth produces a strike on goal direct from the free kick. Lloyd James takes a inswinging corner. Michael Rose delivers the ball,

80:15 Substitution

Substitution Charlie Daniels goes off and Stephane Zubar comes on.

79:40

Brian Wilson sends in a cross, save made by Darryl Flahavan.

78:30

Michael Rose takes a shot. Mark Cousins makes a save. Shot by Anthony Wordsworth from deep inside the penalty area misses to the right of the goal.

77:37

Brian Wilson sends in a cross.

75:42 Substitution

Substitution Zavon Hines leaves the field to be replaced by Donal McDermott.

74:23

Mark Cousins takes the indirect free kick.

74:23 Substitution

Substitution Lloyd James comes on in place of Steven Gillespie.

74:23

Zavon Hines is caught offside.

73:54

Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Marc Pugh by John White. Free kick taken by Simon Francis.

73:20

Charlie Daniels produces a left-footed shot from deep inside the penalty area which goes wide of the right-hand post.

71:55

Anthony Wordsworth delivers the ball, Shaun MacDonald gets a block in. The ball is delivered by Michael Rose. Steven Gillespie handles the ball and concedes a free kick. Free kick taken by Darryl Flahavan.

71:55

Anthony Wordsworth produces a cross, Shaun MacDonald gets a block in. Michael Rose produces a cross, Handball by Steven Gillespie. Darryl Flahavan restarts play with the free kick.

70:45

Michael Rose produces a cross, Steven Gillespie takes a shot. Save by Darryl Flahavan.

70:05

Zavon Hines produces a left-footed shot from the edge of the box and misses to the right of the target.

68:55

The ball is sent over by Michael Rose.

68:09

John White challenges Zavon Hines unfairly and gives away a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Marc Pugh. The ball is crossed by Marc Pugh, Effort on goal by Wesley Thomas from inside the penalty box misses to the right of the target.

67:05

Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Michael Rose played to the near post, clearance made by Wesley Thomas.

66:19

Zavon Hines is caught offside. Magnus Okuonghae takes the indirect free kick.

65:27 Substitution

Substitution Steven Gregory comes on in place of Shaun Cooper.

63:05

Free kick taken by Mark Cousins.

63:05 Substitution

Substitution Kayode Odejayi on for Kemal Izzet.

63:05

The assistant referee signals for offside against Wesley Thomas.

60:53

Magnus Okuonghae concedes a free kick for a foul on Zavon Hines. Charlie Daniels takes the direct free kick.

60:21

Zavon Hines concedes a free kick for a foul on Andy Bond. Mark Cousins takes the direct free kick.

57:52

The assistant referee signals for offside against Wesley Thomas. Mark Cousins takes the free kick.

55:30

Foul by Kemal Izzet on Marc Pugh, free kick awarded. Free kick crossed left-footed by Charlie Daniels from right wing, clearance by Magnus Okuonghae. Wesley Thomas takes a shot. Save by Mark Cousins. Corner from left by-line taken by Marc Pugh.

54:44

Zavon Hines takes a shot. Blocked by Brian Wilson. Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Charlie Daniels from the right by-line to the near post, save made by Mark Cousins.

52:42

Scott Malone takes a shot.

52:09

The ball is delivered by Marc Pugh, John White gets a block in. Outswinging corner taken right-footed by Marc Pugh played to the near post, save by Mark Cousins.

50:21

Ian Henderson is caught offside. Indirect free kick taken by Darryl Flahavan.

49:47

Unfair challenge on John White by Wesley Thomas results in a free kick. Free kick taken by John White.

49:03

Ian Henderson has an effort at goal from outside the box which goes wide left of the goal.

46:28

The ball is delivered by Steve Cook, save by Mark Cousins.

46:00

Andy Bond takes a shot. Steve Cook gets a block in.

45:50

The ball is swung over by Ian Henderson, clearance by Miles Addison.

45:01

The second half has started.

45:00 +1:23 Half time

Half Time The ref blows to signal half-time.

45:00 +0:49

The referee blows for offside against Steven Gillespie. Darryl Flahavan restarts play with the free kick.

42:08

Effort from outside the penalty box by John White goes wide left of the goal.

41:50

Michael Rose crosses the ball, Steve Cook makes a clearance.

40:12

Inswinging corner taken by Charlie Daniels, save made by Mark Cousins. Inswinging corner taken left-footed by Charlie Daniels from the right by-line, save by Mark Cousins.

39:11

The ball is swung over by Simon Francis.

38:10

Zavon Hines is flagged offside by the assistant referee. Mark Cousins takes the indirect free kick.

35:31

Andy Bond sends in a cross, Miles Addison manages to make a clearance.

34:22

A cross is delivered by Marc Pugh, Simon Francis manages to make a clearance. Corner taken left-footed by Scott Malone. Centre by Marc Pugh, Tom Eastman makes a clearance.

32:20

Brian Wilson produces a cross.

30:30 Substitution

Substitution Karl Duguid goes off and Michael Rose comes on.

29:40

Wesley Thomas takes a shot. Save made by Mark Cousins.

28:28

Wesley Thomas handles the ball and concedes a free kick. Kemal Izzet restarts play with the free kick.

27:58

Steven Gillespie has an effort at goal from long distance that goes wide left.

24:52

Scott Malone takes a shot. Save made by Mark Cousins.

24:02

The ball is delivered by Andy Bond, clearance made by Steve Cook.

21:55

Effort on goal by Karl Duguid from outside the box goes harmlessly over the bar.

21:14

Steven Gillespie delivers the ball, Steve Cook makes a clearance. Outswinging corner taken by Wesley Thomas, Scott Malone takes a shot. Tom Eastman manages to make a clearance.

20:49

The ball is sent over by Ian Henderson, blocked by Shaun MacDonald.

17:26

Zavon Hines produces a cross, clearance by Brian Wilson.

16:07

Shot on goal by Wesley Thomas from just inside the area goes over the target.

15:45

Unfair challenge on Zavon Hines by Anthony Wordsworth results in a free kick. Direct free kick taken by Shaun Cooper.

14:54

Corner taken by Karl Duguid from the right by-line played to the near post. Anthony Wordsworth takes a shot. Clearance by Simon Francis.

13:26

John White sends in a cross, Steven Gillespie produces a right-footed shot from the edge of the box and misses to the left of the target.

10:51

The assist for the goal came from Scott Malone.

10:51 Goal scored

Goal - Shaun MacDonald - Bournem'th 1 - 0 Colchester Shaun MacDonald fires in a goal from inside the area to the bottom right corner of the goal. Bournemouth 1-0 Colchester.

9:09

Brian Wilson crosses the ball, Steve Cook manages to make a clearance. Inswinging corner taken right-footed by Anthony Wordsworth from the right by-line. Andy Bond takes a shot. Anthony Wordsworth takes a shot. Save by Darryl Flahavan. Inswinging corner taken by Ian Henderson, save by Darryl Flahavan.

4:48

Shaun Cooper concedes a free kick for a foul on Kemal Izzet. Anthony Wordsworth takes the free kick.

2:49

Free kick awarded for an unfair challenge on Zavon Hines by Anthony Wordsworth. Shaun MacDonald restarts play with the free kick.

0:00

The ref blows the whistle to start the match.

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