SWINDON Town conceded a 92nd-minute leveller on Saturday as they drew 1-1 away at nine-man Colchester United in League Two.

Harry McKirdy scored his 13th goal of the season to put Town in front with 20 minutes to play before Colchester had goalkeeper Shamal George sent off for a stamp and Luke Chambers dismissed for a last-man trip.

But inside six minutes of time added on, United’s Emyr Huws poked home from a corner as the relegation-threatened U’s stole an unlikely point.

Despite the disappointment of letting two points slip away, Town ended January inside the play-off places in seventh.

Ben Garner made three changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Bristol Rovers last weekend.

There was a change in goal as Jojo Wollacott replaced Lewis Ward, meanwhile Jordan Lyden slotted in for Ben Gladwin in midfield. And there was a debut for new signing Josh Davison up front in place of the recalled Tyreece Simpson.

Colchester meanwhile named an unchanged side to the one that beat Salford City 3-0 at the Peninsula Stadium last weekend.

Town had the first shot of the afternoon after Jonny Williams robbed Junior Tchamadeu down the left and laid off for Ellis Iandolo on the corner of the box.

The left wing-back scuffed his shot though, and George gathered easily down to his left.

The disappointing end to the game’s first move would set the pattern for the remainder of the first 45 – it took until the 15th minute for the next notable chance to arrive.

Davison broke the line and shot left-footed inside the box, but Tom Dallison recovered brilliantly with a diving block to deny him.

Midway through the first half, the unusually ineffective McKirdy tamely flicked Davison's low cross at George.

Moments later, McKirdy went close to opening the scoring. Williams skipped away from a couple of markers before slipping a pass into McKirdy in the middle.

The striker sent his man for an early half-time pie before driving a shot a yard wide of George's right-hand post.

10 minutes before the break, Town almost took the lead out of nowhere when Akin Odimayo drove the ball over the top for McKirdy, but just before he was about to pull the trigger, Chambers scrambled back and poked it over the bar for a corner.

Shortly before the break, Colchester were denied via a fantastic save from the returning Wollacott. Rob Hunt gave Myles Kenlock far too much time to cross from the left and he picked out Luke Hannant in the middle. The header was a good one, but the save was fantastic. Wollacott moved quickly down to his left to tip it away.

As half-time closed in, Davison nearly grabbed a debut goal after Colchester inexplicably give it straight to Town’s new number nine inside the box. However, perhaps having not expected to receive the ball, Davison’s shot was poor and straight at George.

Five minutes into the second half, McKirdy was denied a glorious chance to put the visitors in front. On the counter-attack, Iandolo crossed early for McKirdy, but just as the striker was about to shoot he felt a slight tug on his shirt which severely affected the effort. There was no reaction from McKirdy in terms of wanting a foul as Garner's protests were ignored.

Following a 20-minute period where neither team could create anything of note, Town took the lead in the 68th minute. A wonderful whipped cross from Iandolo on the left was bundled home at the back post by McKirdy.

Moments after Town took the lead, Colchester had goalkeeper George sent off for an alleged stamp on Davison during a break of play. The referee, Chris Sarginson, didn’t waste much time in producing his card once he had consulted with his linesman, giving Swindon a man advantage for the final 15 minutes or so.

With 10 minutes to play, Iandolo could have put the game to bed when intercepting in midfield and driving forward. He could have slipped Davison in down the left, shot himself, or picked out McKirdy to his right. In the end, he did none of them and the move fizzled out.

Inside the final five minutes, Colchester were then reduced to nine men after Chambers brought down substitute Jayden Mitchell-Lawson as last man on the edge of the box.

However, inside six minutes of added time, the nine men of Colchester found a leveller after substitute John Akinde flicked on a near-post corner and Huws poked past Wollacott from close range.

CUFC starting XI: George, Chambers, Wiredu, Hannant, Skuse, Judge, Sears, Dallison, Kenlock, Tchamadeu, Huws.

SUBS: Collins, Nouble, Edwards, Akinde, Andrews, Eastman, Coxe.

STFC starting XI: Wollacott, Odimayo, Iandolo, Conroy, Hunt, O'Brien, Reed, Lyden, Williams, McKirdy, Davison.

SUBS: Ward, Gladwin, Mitchell-Lawson, East, Aguiar, Parsons, Dabre.