Leicester City put the anguish of their gut-wrenching midweek Carling Cup defeat at Chelsea to one side to pick up a hard-earned point against Colchester United at Layer Road on Saturday evening.
Collins John's second goal since joining the Foxes on loan from Fulham handed the visitors an early advantage but Johnnie Jackson's header just before half-time levelled matters.
Both sides pushed forward after the break in search of a winner and Richard Stearman, Bruno N'Gotty, Matty Fryatt and Alan Sheehan all came close after the interval but none of them could bag City's second.
Former Fox Mark Yeates shot wide inside a minute after cutting in from the right flank before a timely Darren Kenton block on the edge of the area thwarted Kem Izzet on six minutes.
However, it was the visitors who took the lead a minute later through loan star Collins John.
DJ Campbell did well down the right hand side before pulling the ball back from the by-line into the path of the advancing striker, who had the simple task of side-footing the ball home into a vacant net for an explosive opener.
John received lengthy treatment for a facial injury on 14 minutes but was fit enough to continue.
Marton Fulop raced off his line to deny Clive Platt in the 20th minute after the striker beat Bruno N'Gotty to the long ball over the top.
John almost doubled his and City's advantage three minutes later when he latched on to Matty Fryatt's clever through ball but he was just crowded out through a combination of keeper Dean Gerken and Pat Baldwin.
Gareth McAuley headed narrowly wide from the resulting inswinging corner by Alan Sheehan.
Sheehan was booked for a foul on Yeates on 29 minutes then N'Gotty's timely block denied Kevin Lisbie's goal-bound effort in the 32nd minute.
Fulop parried Duguid's long range shot at his near post soon after before Fryatt's shot flew the wrong side of the left-hand upright with Gerken beaten on 39 minutes.
Yeates put his free-kick well-wide two minutes later while at the other end Sheehan's drive from distance sailed just over the bar as the first-half came to a close.
However, the Us equalised on the stroke of half-time.
Yeates cut in from the right before dinking the ball to the back post for the onrushing Johnnie Jackson whose glancing header crept in at the near post despite Fulop's best efforts.
And that was to be the last meaningful action of the first half as the two sides went into half-time all-square.
At the start of the second period, Yeates' curling effort fell the wrong side of the right hand post.
Gerken rushed off his line in the 49th minute to deny John then Yeates ballooned his free-kick miles over the City bar.
A sustained spell of Foxes press on 56 minutes firstly saw John's low cross almost deflected into his own net by Jackson then Fryatt come close with a shot on the turn from 10-yards out.
A well timed tackle from Sheehan thwarted Yeates on the hour before Richard Stearman's effort went the wrong side of the left-hand post from 20-yards out after neat play between Campbell and Fryatt.
The injured Kevin Watson made way for Kevin McLeod in the 63rd minute while Carl Cort replaced goalscorer John.
Baldwin's header from under his own bar denied Cort on 69 minutes then N'Gotty shot wide from the right hand flank.
Fryatt saw his shot saved with an outstretched hand by Gerken in the 77th minute with Cort's follow-up effort being flagged offside.
Shaun Newton replaced Campbell 10 minutes from time as the visitors pushed for a winner.
Sheehan almost won it for the Foxes in the 88th minute but his free-kick flew narrowly the wrong side of the post.
Then Fulop dived to his right to save from Yeates a minute later but it remained 1-1 at the final whistle.
City: Fulop, McAuley (c), Kisnorbo, N'Gotty, Stearman, Chambers, Kenton, Sheehan, Fryatt, John (Cort 63), Campbell (Newton 80). Subs not used: Henderson, Maybury, Sappleton.
United: Gerken, Granville, Jackson, Watson (McLeod 63), Duguid (c), Platt, Izzet, Yeates, Baldwin, Connolly, Lisbie. Subs not used: Elokobi, Virgo, Balogh, Cousins.
Yellow Cards
City: Sheehan (29)
United: None
Attendance: 5,661
Referee: A Penn
