Stevenage survived more than 70 minutes with 10 men to draw 0-0 with promotion-chasing Colchester United at the Lamex on Saturday afternoon.

The U's came into the fixture on a 10-game unbeaten run in League Two, and their cause was helped when Boro's Tom Soares was sent off for a heavy challenge on Luke Gambin with 18 minutes gone.

Despite constant pressure from the away side in the second half, Stevenage held on for a point, much to the delight of manager Graham Westley.

"What a work ethic. What a desire, what a hunger, what an appetite, what a togetherness. It was like days of old," he said.

"I think it would be very easy in the fourth game in nine days for the lads to feel tired. I think it would be easy for them to use that excuse.

"But, we did not look for excuses. We did everything we could to be men about the situation."

"Stand up, take our responsibility, work out our individual jobs.

"I had to ask the likes of Kennedy to defend as hard as Ben Nugent. I had to ask the likes of Tyler Denton when he went on on the left hand side to defend as hard as Paul Digby.

"That is what you need. That is what it takes to grind something out in those kind of circumstances. The lads, to a man, were a credit to themselves."

On Soares' red card, Westley added: "I think that you have got to make sure, if you are going to send someone from the field of play, you are sending them for the right reasons.

"I saw an honest challenge from Tom Soares with intentions to win the ball.

"I thought he did win the ball, and I think it is very harsh that he ended up going down the tunnel."

The point moves Stevenage off the bottom of League Two on goal difference, with Port Vale up next at the Lamex on Saturday.