Colchester picked up a crucial point in their fight to avoid the drop by grinding out a draw at play-off chasing Hull.

An impressive strike from Johnnie Jackson put the visitors in front with the first attack of the second half, but Fraizer Campbell equalised after 64 minutes.

Colchester came desperately close to the opening goal when Karl Duguid's attempted lob from 20 yards drifted a couple of feet wide of the mark, and the visitors wasted a glorious chance seconds later when Jackson headed over Duguid's pinpoint cross from the right.

Hull were forced to make a change after just 16 minutes when Nick Barmby pulled up when chasing a superb ball from Jay-Jay Okocha, and was replaced by Dean Marney.

Colchester caught Hull hesitating in defence, and when Kem Izzet seized on a loose ball on the left, his centre was headed inches over the crossbar by Clive Platt.

Platt then had another opportunity minutes later, but his drilled right-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area was well blocked by the sprawling Henrik Pedersen.

At the other end, Okocha spun on the ball 30 yards from goal and opted to shoot rather than release Sam Ricketts, and sent his low effort wide of the target.

Hull created their best opportunity of the first 45 minutes on the stroke of half-time, when Campbell charged infield and played in Ryan France, who found Dean Gerken equal to his low effort from eight yards.

Colchester snatched the lead within two minutes of the restart with a magnificent strike.

Michael Turner failed to clear a long ball upfield, and Jackson scored with a thumping right-footed half-volley from 20 yards into the top-right corner of the net.

Hull nearly grabbed an equaliser seconds later when Chris Coyne inexplicably headed the ball towards his own goal, but Gerken produced a fine save to claw the ball away.

However, Colchester spurned a tremendous opportunity to double their advantage when Izzet burst into the area unchallenged and fired a right-footed shot just wide from 10 yards with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Hull made Izzet pay for that miss after 64 minutes when Okocha swung in a free-kick from the right, and the unmarked Campbell headed home his eighth goal of the season into the top corner.

Ricketts then attacked for Hull down the right, and his low cross was flicked a foot over the crossbar by Marney.

In the dying minutes, Gerken again denied Hull when he miraculously denied former Colchester defender Wayne Brown from eight yards.

Teams:

Hull Myhill, Ricketts, Turner, Brown, Pedersen, France, Ashbee, Walton (Folan 46), Barmby (Marney 16), Campbell, Okocha.

Subs Not Used: Tyler, Doyle, Featherstone.

Booked: Walton, Marney.

Goals: Campbell 64.

Colchester Gerken, Ifil, Coyne, Virgo (Granville 46), White, McLeod, Izzet, Vernon, Duguid, Jackson, Platt.

Subs Not Used: Cousins, Watson, Sheringham, Guttridge.

Booked: McLeod.

Goals: Jackson 47.

Att: 15,664

Ref: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire).