The Blues’ Papa John’s Trophy tie against Colchester at Portman Road remains 0-0 at half-time with Joe Pigott having had a goal disallowed for offside and having hit the bar.
Town boss Paul Cook made nine changes with only Kane Vincent-Young and Cameron Burgess remaining from the team which drew 1-1 with Oldham in the FA Cup on Saturday.
Vaclav Hladky was in goal with former Colchester man Vincent-Young at right-back, Myles Kenlock making his second appearance of the season at left-back and Burgess and Luke Woolfenden the centre-halves.
Rekeem Harper and Scott Fraser were the midfield pair with Louie Barry and Sone Aluko, who captains for the first time, the widemen and Joe Pigott the lone striker.
For Colchester, ex-Blues defender Tom Eastman skippered alongside former Town captain Luke Chambers at the centre of the defence.
Ex-Blues forwards Frank Nouble and Freddie Sears also both started, while Dean Gerken was on the bench but there was no place for Cole Skuse, who suffered a knock at Sudbury on Friday, and Alan Judge.
On-loan Blues forward Armando Dobra was ineligible and in any case is away with Albania’s U21s, while Tommy Smith is with New Zealand.
Ahead of kick-off both sides took a knee to applause from the Town support and it was the visitors who would have the first chance of the game in the fifth minute.
Burgess tried to see the ball out of play on the far side but allowed Sears to gain possession and the former Blues striker sent over a low cross which Vincent-Young did well to turn wide at the far post.
Two minutes later at the other end, Fraser fed Pigott on the edge of the box from where the former AFC Wimbledon man hit a shot which U’s keeper Jake Turner batted away to safety.
Town thought they’d gone ahead in the 13th minute when Pigott headed a chipped Chaplin cross past Turner, however, the linesman’s flag had been raised.
There was a scare for the Blues at the other end two minutes later when Sears got behind Burgess and took the ball in on goal. Hladky came off his line and while under pressure from Burgess, Sears fell as he tried to take the ball past the keeper.
Town quickly went up the other end and Pigott saw a cross from the left cleared before Kenlock sent over a ball from the same flank which Vincent-Young out-fought Charlie Daniels to reach but slammed wide.
The Blues went even closer in the 18th minute when Pigott was found inside the area. After working his way some space on the right of the box, the striker shot off the bar and Barry scraped the rebound wide.
On 20, Burgess played a long ball down the left for Barry to chase. The on-loan Aston Villa man out-paced his man but shot at Turner’s near post and the keeper saved.
The Blues continued to create chances, Aluko playing in Vincent-Young on the right of the box but the ball somehow evaded Pigott and Barry. On 22 Luke Hannant shot well wide for the U’s.
Two minutes later, Chaplin looked to have been fouled just inside the Town half but after no whistle came Colchester broke forward. Noah Chilvers squared to Hannant in space but the midfielder’s shot was blocked by Burgess.
In the 27th minute Barry, who had swapped roles with Chaplin, sent Aluko away down the right and the Nigerian international burst past his man but saw his low cross cut out.
The Town chances continued to come. On 32 Aluko showed his skills on the right of the box before hitting a low ball which Barry just failed to reach.
Colchester thought they’d come very close to going in front in the 34th minute when a Junior Tchamadeu cross from the right reached Nouble at the far post from where the one-time Town striker steered the ball wide, however, the linesman’s flag was raised.
Harper blazed over from distance two minutes later for Town then, following a long spell of Blues possession, Fraser smashed a 25-yard strike against Brendan Wiredu.
In the penultimate minute, Nouble shot from a tight angle on the left by Hladky, who moments earlier had had a shaky moment dealing with a weak header back from Fraser which he almost juggled into the path of Sears, saved comfortably.
Meanwhile, Vincent-Young, who had suffered a knock in an earlier challenge, went to ground and received attention as the fourth official’s board signalled two additional minutes.
The only surprise at the break was that the game remained goalless. Town had created plenty of opportunities to go in front but without taking any - aside from Pigott’s disallowed goal - with Turner not having been over-worked.
While the Blues had seen most of the ball, Colchester had had chances on the break, most notably through Sears, who had caused Burgess problems, particularly in the early stages.
Given the number of chances at both ends, it seems unlikely that the game will remain without a goal for its entire 90 minutes.
Town: Hladky, Vincent-Young, Woolfenden, Burgess, Kenlock, Harper, Aluko (c), Chaplin, Fraser, Barry, Pigott. Subs: Holy, Clements, Donacien, Evans, Burns, Celina, Jackson.
Colchester: Turner, Chambers, Wiredu, Hannant, Nouble, Sears, Chilvers, Eastman (c), Kennedy, Tchamadeu, Daniels. Subs: Gerken, Welch-Hayes, McCoulsky, Coxe, Thomas, Tovide, Cooper. Referee: Paul Howard (London).