Colchester United's new-found resolve will be put to the test tomorrow when they travel to take on a formidable, if inconsistent, Cardiff City side.

The U's have lost just once in their last 14 league games, but they will be facing a City team that is desperate to clinch an automatic promotion spot.

Micky Stockwell scored for the U's when Colchester and Cardiff City met at Layer Road in December

Currently third in the table, Lennie Lawrence's men are just two points off second-placed Crewe but they squandered the chance to go second when they lost 2-0 to Peterborough on Wednesday night.

Perhaps conveniently for Colchester, Cardiff's top scorer, Robert Earnshaw, has not found the back of the net for four games.

But the Welsh international forward has bagged 35 goals in all competitions this season.

And he did net both strikes in Cardiff's 2-1 victory at Layer Road in December.

The 22-year-old cancelled out Micky Stockwell's goal in a game that saw Kevin Rapley and Fan Zhiyi sent-off for a heated altercation.

However, Earnshaw's patchy recent form has mirrored that of the whole City side.

In the past ten matches, they have won five, drawn two and lost three.

With Earnshaw temporarily out of touch in front of goal, Cardiff have been relying on former Swindon striker Peter Thorne.

Twenty-nine-year-old Thorne has scored five goals in his last four games and he may well pose the biggest danger to the U's defence.

Published Friday, April 18, 2003

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