DANNY Cowley has called on his Colchester United to maintain their momentum when they host Swindon Town tonight.

The U’s head into the League Two clash at the JobServe Community Stadium on the back of two positive away performances at Fleetwood Town and Grimsby Town, where they took four points from a possible six.

Colchester are unbeaten in their last five matches but are set to be without several players for the game against the Robins, with Ben Goodliffe, Owura Edwards and Harry Anderson all doubtful after picking up injuries in the goal-less draw at Fleetwood.

READ MORE: Ex-U's assistant takes charge at National League South side

Nevertheless, boss Cowley wants his team to overcome any hurdles to claim an important victory over Swindon, who knocked the U's out of the FA Cup at the first-round stage a month ago.

He said: “The will of the group is incredible.

“Every time we’ve gone into a three-game week, we’ve lost two players in the first game and that makes it really, really tough.

“If you go back and think about the Walsall and Cheltenham games, it happened then.

“That hasn’t been kind to us but we need to show the same endeavour and attitude and quality in our play, as we did at Fleetwood.

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

“We’re growing and the ambition is to come back here (Fleetwood) and play that well but add the quality in the final third to win.

“We’re not quite there yet but we have clarity over where we want to go and we’ll keep working towards it.”

Colchester have shown greater mental strength on their travels this season and Cowley believes their extensive summer recruitment has played a part in that.

“When we arrived, we needed to add to the group in those areas,” said the Colchester boss.

“We had a lot of young players living it for the first time and it’s not necessarily that they weren’t gritty and determined, as someone like Samson has got it in abundance.

READ MORE: Colchester fan Si Collinson gives his latest views on the U's

“Samson was injured last season but we had young players living the experience for the first time and sometimes, don’t always know what it needs.

“Sometimes, if there’s an imbalance and you have too many together, then the team can suffer as a consequence.

“For us, it was just to find the right blend really.

“We’re a club that wants to bring young players through, we want to develop young players, we want to provide a pathway for young players to play and to develop, so that they can help the team but also so that we can develop the asset and sell the asset and reinvest the money.

“This is part of the model but to do that and to get those players through, you need enough experience and you always want that never-say-die, ‘kill us to beat us’ kind of attitude, when you go right to the end.

(Image: RICHARD BLAXALL)

“I always think they’re the things that cost nothing and require no talent.

“If you can do all of those things really, really well, then that always gives you a good platform for your teams.”

Colchester tonight face a Swindon side who lie second-bottom in the League Two table and were knocked out of the FA Cup by Accrington Stanley on penalties, last weekend.

READ MORE: Danny Cowley provides injury update ahead of Swindon game

The U’s lost 2-1 after extra-time at Swindon last month and play in the league tonight, before facing Ian Holloway’s side again at the County Ground, on New Year’s Day.

Cowley added: “They knocked us out of the FA Cup, so we owe them one!

“Ian Holloway has done a good job in the short period of time that he’s been in and we’ll look forward to seeing them again, on Tuesday night.”