Phil Parkinson is determined to put last season's LDV Vans Trophy nightmare behind him tonight.
He is aiming to avenge the Southern Area final humiliation at the hands of Essex rivals Southend United.
Colchester United boss Parkinson described that catastrophic 3-2 Layer Road defeat as: "The worst moment of my managerial career."
And as he prepared his team for tonight's first round home encounter against the eventual Millennium Stadium beaten finalists, he told the Gazette: "I have explained the importance of tonight's big local derby to my players and how important it is to our fans.
"The lads will realise just how important when they run out on to the pitch in front of a near full house."
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Published Wednesday, September 29, 2004
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