Burnley missed out on moving into the play off zone after being held to a 1-1 draw by bottom club Colchester United.

A clinical goal on his home debut for former Manchester United and England striker Andrew Cole was cancelled out by a deflected Johnnie Jackson free kick before half time.

And despite an improved second half performance by the Clarets, they could not force the all-improtant winner.

Burnley boss Owen Coyle made two changes to the side that lost to West Brom, with Sunderland loan man Cole replacing Ade Akinbiyi and Kyle Lafferty returning to the side following a four-match suspension in place of the injured Chris McCann.

Cole was unlucky not to latch onto a Wade Elliott ball on four minutes and would have definitely tested U's keeper Dean Gerken had a well placed defender not been cleared for a corner.

Elliott then broke free on 16 minutes after a great ball from Robbie Blake, but the midfielder - still looking for his first goal this term - could only loop his shot into the arms of Gerken.

Brian Jensen could only stand and watch on 21 minutes as Burnley had a lucky escape when Clive Platt's shot, from a Kevin McLeod cross, came back off the upright with the Dane beaten.

But it was the Clarets who took the lead on 23 minutes when Cole pounced on a mistake in the Colchester defence and fired past Gerken to open his Burnley account.

Colchester came right back into the game though and were beginning to look dangerous as the half wore on.

And on 38 minutes ,Jackson dragged the visitors' level with a free kick from 20 yards, which took a wicked deflection off the Burnley wall and spun past Jensen.

The Clarets almost responded immediately with a free kick of their own, but Blake's superb set piece smacked the outside of the post and bounced away for a throw-in.

Half Time: 1-1

It was a stop-start opening to the second half, during which the Clarets struggled to get a grip on the game.

Lafferty had the first effort of the half for Burnley on 55 minutes when he cut inside from the left and fired a powerful shot which Gerken smothered comfortably.

Coyle then rung the changes with two substitutions in quick succession, replacing Joey Gudjonsson with skipper Steve Caldwell and Blake with Akinbiyi.

Despite the changes though, it was Colchester who continued to frustrate the Clarets with a workmen-like performance that stopped Burnley from creating much in the way of chances.

Cole could have doubled his - and Burnley's - tally for the afternoon on 81 minutes but he was just inches away from connecting with Wade Elliott's looping cross to the back post.

And as injury time ticked away, Akinbiyi broke into the box and clearly had his shirt tugged by a defender before dragging his shot wide of the far post.

A Mark Randall half volley with the last kick of the game almost snatched an unlikely winner at the death but Gerken caught his effort under the bar and the Clarets were forced to settle for a point on a frustrating afternoon at Turf Moor.

Burnley: Jensen, Alexander, Varga, Unsworth, Harley, Elliott, O'Connor (Randall 73), Gudjonsson (Caldwell 52), Lafferty, Blake (Akinbiyi 61), Cole.
Subs: Kiraly, Spicer.

Colchester United: Gerken, White, Jackson, Coyne, Duguid, Plat, Izzet, McLeod (Gutteridge 76), Ifil, Virgo, Lisbie (Vernon 25).
Subs: Watson, Sheringham, Cousins.

Attendance: 15,376