Pre-Season Friendly: Colchester 0 Tottenham 0

Tottenham were unable to claim victory in their second pre-season friendly ahead of the new campaign as they were held by Colchester.

Andre-Villas Boas’ men dominated much of the encounter at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Friday but they had to settle for a goalless draw against their League One hosts.

Kyle Walker, Jan Vertonghen and Emmanuel Adebayor were all included in the starting 11 for Spurs, but it was Andros Townsend who was first to test Sam Walker, the Colchester goalkeeper producing two fine saves to deny the midfielder.

The 21-year-old Chelsea loanee continued to show excellent reflexes, tipping an effort from Iago Falque over the bar as Tottenham tried to break the deadlock.

Freddie Sears struck just wide from 25 yards out eight minutes before the interval for Colchester in what proved to be the last significant action of the opening half.

Spurs made seven changes during the break, with Scott Parker and Jermain Defoe among those to be thrown into the fray.

Townsend was heavily involved again early in the second period, going close after 48 minutes, before substitute keeper Hugo Lloris saved down to his right to prevent Sears from giving the hosts a surprise lead.

Walker continued to be busy throughout the second half and was called upon again after 57 minutes to make another fine stop, this time from Harry Kane after the 19-year-old had broken through one-on-one.

The visitors unsurprisingly dictated the flow of the game and will have felt aggrieved not to have taken the lead when Kane struck the inside of the post with 15 minutes of normal time remaining.

Spurs’ quality began to show in the latter stages, but their efforts to grab a winner proved in vain as Colchester’s substitute shot-stopper Mark Cousins denied Defoe and Kyle Naughton late on.