It was back on the road and into Essex for the Blues on Saturday afternoon.
And it was a change of formation for the Blues as they went with three central defenders and wing-backs on either side as they looked to bring an end to a run of four consecutive defeats.
Mitchell Roberts made his debut on the left-hand side of the three, with Simeu in the middle and Feeney on the right. Riley and Armer provided the wide mobility, with Jon Mellish back as part of a midfield trio.
Danny Devine dropped to the bench, as did Tyrese Omotoye, to accommodate the tactical switch.
The U's won a corner with their first attack but the near post delivery from Judge was sliced wide by Chambers as he tried to wrap his boot round a difficult volley.
Centre back Morgan Feeney defended well when he had Sears on his shoulder as the pair chased a ball over the top. He nodded it away from the danger area before hooking it clear.
Colchester came again with a long ball forward for Edwards to chase. He wriggled away with it, having come under pressure from Riley. The Carlisle man recovered to put the cut-back behind as Sears lurked.
The corner was floated in and Edwards pounced as it fell between two stranded black shirts. His volley had venom but it skimmed over the bar.
A deep free kick from Roberts found Simeu at the toher end and his header was met by Smith, who got in the way. Sho-Silva had moved into space and he was frustrated not to get the touch.
Another accurate free kick from Riley found Sho-Silva as a willing jumper, and he guided it through bodies from the edge of the box. It had just too much on it and Hornby scooped it up.
United had a Judge set piece to defend when he flighted a beauty at the six-yard area. Mellish got enough on it to put it over the bar, but the officials missed his touch and a goal kick was awarded.
A patient home attack came to an end when Judge tumbled in the area. The crowd appealed for a spot kick, but the players played on knowing that there had been nothing like any contact.
There was a heart in the mouth moment for the visitors on 37 minutes when a free kick from wide sailed into the area. Howard went to grasp it, but Feeney had also made a leap and the ball was spilled as the two came together. Eastman had his back to goal but he was disappointed as he crunched it over his shoulder and over the gaping nets.
Sears was next to be wasteful when he beat the offside trap to bear down on goal. He opted to rattle it early and it was another that went high.
Howard was comfortable with a 23-yard drilled free kick from Judge that hit the target. He took one step to his left before gathering it in.
It was a good spell for the home side, with Wiredu and Edwards sniffing for something to drop as crosses came in. It eventually came to Skuse and he thundered it through a gap at the top corner from distance. Howard had to go full length to palm it away as it angled to cross the line.
After a stuttering kick off, which brought a free kick as Sho-Silva was tugged, a half-clearance fell kindly for Windsor to strike. Hornby watched it into his hands.
Patrick was then onto a long ball which Eastman misjudged. He dropped a shoulder to win the corner, but that was plucked out of the air.
There was then a lovely away move which saw Armer find Mellish in an advanced position. He turned his man and slid it through, and Windsor had no hesitation in taking it on. Hornby did well to beat it away.
The goal the good start to the second period deserved came when Patrick was released on the overlap by Sho-Silva. The striker stepped away from his marker and bagged his second goal in the space of three outings when he whisked an unstoppable effort into the corner of the bag right in front of the travelling supporters.
Colchester had a prolonged spell of possession following the goal, but they couldn't find a way through as the away team stayed tight.
And Sho-Silva sent a header over the bar when the black shirts broke in numbers. Windsor was involved, as was Mellish, and it was Riley who delivered when he came in support. It was slightly behind the forward and a difficult chance to keep down.
Corner flag repairs delayed the game for four minutes after Melish had shown his frustration at a decision going against him, but it was a corner at the other end which brought the equaliser when Smith found himself in space after the ball came his way. Howard could do nothing as a placed and guided header dropped beyond him.
And the game was turned on its head on 75 minutes when substitute Tyriek Wright swiped a loose ball into the roof of the net at the third attempt. The back line had tried to complete the clearance, but it was kept alive and the visitors were made to pay.
The home team suddenly looked confident and a miscued attempt from distance was trapped by Wiredu, who had taken a very advanced position. He turned sharply but his snapshot whistled high.
United levelled things up with four minutes left to play with what was a superbly worked break. Patrick showed great awareness to release Riley, who was on the overlap, and he checked his run to hold things up. A clipped delivery followed and Sho-Silva registered his first for the club with a flicked header that found its way in via the inside of the upright.
There was an excellent piece of defending from Simeu late in the day when Edwards sprinted clean through. Strength and timing combined meant the centre back could step in to rob it just as the nippy front man shaped to let fly.
Seven minutes of time added raised the nerve endings, and the Cumbrians had corners to deal with from both left and right. But they kept the door closed to take what could prove to be an important point.
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Goals
Colchester United - Smith (69), Wright (75)
Carlisle United - Patrick (51), Sho-Silva (86)
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Bookings
Colchester United - Chambers (70)
Carlisle United - Riley (33), Roberts (41), Mellish (64)
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Teams
Colchester United - Hornby, Chambers, Smith (c), Wiredu (Huws 84), Skuse, Judge, Sears, Edwards, Kenlock, Eastman (Wright 61), Tchamadeu. Subs - George (gk), Welch-Hayes, Hannant, Andrews, Kennedy.
Carlisle United - Howard, Riley, Feeney, Simeu, Roberts, Armer, Windsor (Dennis 79), Whelan (c), Mellish, Patrick, Sho-Silva (Devitt 87). Subs - Norman (gk), Devine, Alessandra, Gibson, Omotoye.
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Match officials
Referee - Lee Swabey
Assistant Referee 1 - Darren Blunden
Assistant Referee 2 - Geoffrey Russell
Fourth Official - Gareth Viccars
Observer - Graham Horwood
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Attendance - 2,664 (242)
