CITY 0 COLCHESTER 0

STUART McCall smiled at the predictability of the outcome.

Anyone who has studied his career with City will know that each spell invariably starts with a draw.

Throw in the fact the Bantams had won only one of their last 12 meetings with Colchester, not beating them at home for 38 years, and the stalemate should not have come as a surprise.

What will have frustrated McCall – and the shut-out Valley Parade faithful watching from home – will have been the blank score line.

One of the biggest faults of last season was City’s struggle to score goals. Doubts remain over whether an attack made up of willing workers but all very similar in approach can put that right.

McCall is still looking for another striker to fill the James Vaughan hole but wants someone who can offer a different dynamic. A bit of pace up there would be a handy start.

“Possibly” was his diplomatic reply when quizzed whether Saturday had highlighted that need. Deep down, he knows it is a decision that could have significant implications for what lies ahead.

There was a lot to be pleased about with City’s first day of the League Two term. Three game in, all different, but all indicating that McCall has already applied his stamp.

A manager prepared to trust in the youngsters is something that has been missing for far too long. What a prospect Reece Staunton is looking.

A harsh first-half yellow card could have limited the teenager’s energetic out-put but he never took a backward step.

Yes, the rookie defender will get caught out at times, particularly in the system McCall has employed. But he plays with a confidence that can ride those little setbacks.

There is a touch of Sheffield United about City’s approach and the way McCall wants outside centre halves Staunton and Anthony O’Connor to supplement the attack.

McCall admitted the squad picked up on that straight away when he brought it up at the start of pre-season.

O’Connor, who began his career as a right back, is enjoying being let off the leash. He spent more of the first half in Colchester's territory than his own.

“The gaffer said he wanted me to get forward and involved with the play. Reece is comfortable on the ball (as well) so it plays into our hands a little bit.

“We have got licence on the outside but I think everyone was guilty of being a bit lacklustre or a bit sloppy with a couple of passes where we didn’t hurt them enough.

“We weren’t good enough going forward – that’s not me having a go at any of our attacking players but as a team. The first game can be a bit cautious and we weren’t clinical.”

In front of him, Dylan Mottley-Henry had got the nod over Tyler French as a more attacking option at right wing-back.

But he got little change out of Colchester left back Cohen Bramall and made way for Zeli Ismail, whose contribution was frustratingly even less – bar one stupid foul just outside his own box which could have brought some late pressure.

Colchester had one of the tightest defences in League Two last season and proved a tough nut to crack.

Tommy Smith could be faced with handling Harry Kane and Jadon Sancho at Wembley next month in New Zealand colours.

He had Kurtis Guthrie to contend with at Valley Parade and edged the battle with the former U’s striker that new boss Steve Ball had described as a “bit misunderstood” in his two years in Essex.

Fellow centre half Tom Eastman similarly had a good ding-dong with Lee Novak – although the City man should have had the last laugh.

Novak was guilty of missing the golden chance of the afternoon after nine minutes.

Mottley-Henry teed him up in prime position in front of goal but keeper Dean Gerken threw his body at Novak’s first attempt and the hurried follow-up was smuggled to safety by Eastman in front the line.

City would not get a better opportunity all afternoon, although the striker could feel aggrieved to have one ruled out in the second half.

Clayton Donaldson, whose arrival did spark things up, was adjudged narrowly offside as he collected a delicious through ball from Billy Clarke before squaring for Novak to finish.

Pictures later showed that Donaldson had timed his run perfectly but it was too tight a call for McCall to make a post-match fuss.

At the other end, Colchester’s rapid frontline – a noticeable contrast to the home attack – kept City on their toes.

Paudie O’Connor had his hands full against Jevani Brown but stuck to his job well, particularly when his defensive partners were gallivanting forward.

Richard O’Donnell marked his 32nd birthday with a big save from Kwame Poku after Brown’s drop of the shoulder had prised open a gap between Staunton and Connor Wood.

O’Donnell also denied Malta international Luke Gambin to maintain City’s first clean sheet of McCall’s third managerial coming.

There is certainly a more solid and organised air about his side compared with the half-hearted rabble shambling from one poor performance to another during the final games of last season.

The commitment and work-rate in the opening week cannot be questioned; it’s just whether they can conjure something different to avoid being so predictable on the attack.

Colchester, to their credit, never came with the aim of just taking a point.

We’ve seen teams willingly park the bus at Valley Parade but Ball, in his first game in charge, pushed up the full backs and kept three up front to counter whenever there was an opening.

“Two good sides cancelling each other out” was McCall’s verdict and it was hard to disagree.

Valley Parade echoed to shouts of encouragement and a few phrases that cannot be repeated.

The sight of 23 flags draped across the deserted seats of the Kop, including the “Always Remember” banner in tribute to the fire victims which filled the bottom two blocks behind the goal, helped to cover up the vast emptiness.

But it remained a strange experience at a ground which is usually bursting at the seams for opening day.

Reports that the iFollow feed seemed to be playing up for a number of those season-ticket holders having to make do with coverage on the small screen added to the sense that this was not right.

The lack of any outside participation did not seem to affect City, though, and probably did them a favour during a scruffy 10 minutes to start the second half.

You could imagine the audible grumbles that would have followed a patch when passes started to go astray.

“Relax, relax!” bawled McCall from his vantage point half a dozen rows behind the dug-out.

City did settle down into a groove again although were maybe obsessed with trying too often to locate the channels of space left by Colchester’s forward-thinking full backs. More often than not, the crosses were then dealt with by Smith and Eastman.

But for those who could witness it, there was plenty to like about how City went about their work. There’s just one missing ingredient.