Parry's first-half strike was his ninth goal of the season
Johnnie Jackson's equaliser against 10-man Cardiff ended Colchester's sorry run of five straight defeats.
All seemed routine when Paul Parry's strike, his ninth of the season, gave Cardiff the lead but Colchester should have claimed the three points.
Clive Platt hit the post and then Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was sent off for a challenge on goalkeeper Dean Gerken.
They finally scored when Jackson hit home a Karl Duguid corner, while Medy Elito came close to scoring the winner.
Colchester boss Geraint Williams:
"They were two fantastic strikes and two great goals. We got a point, but we should have got a bit more out of the game.
"The effort is always there, but we played some good football and I felt that we created good openings.
"I was delighted with the performance and, from the first minute until the last, I thought we were magnificent."
Cardiff boss Dave Jones on Hasselbaink's red card:
"It was a harsh one because he went for the ball.
"I hope the FA will look at it and go from there because to have him suspended would be a killer for us.
"Colchester are fighting for their lives - you could see that from the word go. They were effective."
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