Leicester City's first ever visit to Colchester United ended in a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon.

Iain Hume's ninth goal of the season had handed the visitors the early initiative at Layer Road but Chris Iwelumo's disputed penalty soon after the restart levelled matters.

Both sides pushed for the winner but the Foxes' hard-earned point was enough to stop the Us' impressive run of 11 straight home victories in the Championship.

Patrick Kisnorbo and Matty Fryatt both had goals disallowed while Alan Maybury and Gareth Williams came close but the two teams had to settle for a share of the spoils on the afternoon.

The hosts were the first to register an attempt on goal on three minutes when Iwelumo shot just over the bar from the edge of the penalty area.

After the ball had gone out for a goal-kick, the referee cautioned Danny Tiatto for an infringement leading up to the attack.

At the other end, Dean Gerken saved comfortably from Fryatt's header after he met Stephen Hughes' hanging cross.

Fryatt almost gave the visitors the lead in the eighth minute, but after playing a neat one-two with strike partner Iain Hume, he was firstly denied by Gerken then the side-netting after the ball ricocheted back to him.

The Foxes had a goal disallowed two minutes later when Kisnorbo headed home from Williams free-kick, but the referee was quick to pull play back for climbing by the Australian international.

Kisnorbo was again in the thick of the action moments later when he headed over from Williams' corner.

On 14 minutes Kem Izzet, brother of former Foxes midfielder Muzzy, drove his shot inches wide of the left-hand upright.

However, it was Rob Kelly's side who broke the deadlock in the 19th minute thanks to Hume's first goal in 11 matches.

The diminutive striker latched on to Fryatt's pin-point through ball and kept his composure before sliding the ball past Gerken and into the empty net for the opener.

Karl Duguid blocked Fryatt's goal-bound shot soon after while Izzet's effort flew narrowly wide with Paul Henderson beaten.

Gerken gathered at the second attempt from Fryatt before the former Walsall man had a goal ruled out for offside after turning home Alan Maybury's attempted shot.

Stephen Hughes became the second City player to be cautioned on 31 minutes after a late lunge on Duguid.

Jamie Cureton's quick free-kick in the 35th minute went inches wide then a minute later Foxes captain Paddy McCarthy was booked for unsporting behaviour.

Kevin Watson was cautioned for dissent in the 42nd minute, and after an additional two minutes of time, it was City who went into the break a goal to the good.

A dramatic start to the second half saw the Us handed a controversial penalty in the 47th minute.

McCarthy was adjudged by referee Danny McDermid to have impeded Iwelumo in the area and the burly striker stepped up to send Henderson the wrong way for the highly-disputed equaliser.

Izzet was booked for a foul on Tiatto two minutes later then the Australian midfielder put his free-kick just wide of the post.

Gerken collected from Fryatt's header on the hour before the hosts made their first change in the 62nd minute with Hogan Ephraim replacing Cureton.

Wayne Brown headed narrowly wide from Greg Halford's long throw on 70 minutes before substitute Ephraim did likewise from a Duguid centre.

Both sides continued to look for a second and Gerken had to be alert to tip Maybury's low drive behind for a corner in the 73rd minute but the corner failed to come to anything.

Fryatt was again denied by Gerken 10 minutes from time and he was then booked a minute later.

Williams' header from Hughes' cross with the keeper stranded went agonisingly wide before Fryatt made way for Danny Cadamarteri on 84 minutes.

Duguid was booked late on after a late challenge on Kisnorbo although the referee initially produced a red card after thinking he had already cautioned the midfielder.

Hume's header was saved by a diving Gerken in stoppage time before Williams' free-kick sailed over the bar as the game ended all-square.

City: Henderson, McAuley, Kisnorbo, McCarthy, Maybury, Hughes, Williams, Tiatto, Porter, Hume, Fryatt (Cadamarteri 84). Subs not used: Logan, Johansson, Wesolowski, Stearman.

United: Gerken, Halford, Brown, Watson, Duguid, Cureton (Ephraim 62), Izzet, Iwelumo, Baldwin, Garcia, Barker. Subs not used: Davison, White, Jackson, Guy.

Yellow Cards:
City: Tiatto (3), Hughes (31), McCarthy (36), Fryatt (81)
United: Watson (42), Izzet (49), Duguid (88)

Referee: Danny McDermid (London)

Attendance: 5,915