Colchester United SA chairman Jon Burns with his U's views

Even during the defeat to Mansfield on Tuesday there were positives to be taken away. And as for the performance at Orient last Saturday, well that was just a breath taking game full of energy and hard work.

I am beginning to look more at the countdown to the end of the season. Still 17 games to go which is a huge number points wise, with only seven away games within that number.

It means that much will be decided by our home form where you will not need to be a rocket scientist to work out that the U’s have to find a way of securing the three points, more often than not.

This month is the key to that question as all of Carlisle, Hartlepool and Oldham are coming to Essex.

These are guys also in amongst the drop zone so you could use the dreaded six-pointer description to show how important they are.

Our support will be a big help of course, but we could also do with one or two players coming back from injury or illness to boost the squad.

Skuse, Akinde, Dallison and Huws are prime examples, as are Chilvers and Clampin.

It is not that we are in trouble because the guys who have stepped up, such as Gene Kennedy and our loanees, have really given all that they could on the pitch.

Under the tuition of Wayne Brown (pictured above) and Joe Dunne, the team has really rallied.

They look and feel more positive, and there seems to be a real determination to pull away from the drop zone. Quite right too, I am sure you will agree.

For me a prime example of this was the win at Orient. Losing a centre half in the warm up and a key midfielder in the first half could have knocked a lesser team.

The U’s did not bat an eye lid, got stuck in, scored a beautiful early goal and battled for the rest of the game. It was great to watch.

I really like Corie Andrews. He runs the line brilliantly, with Freddie dropping in behind.

I would really like to see these two guys playing together tomorrow as they seem to have already worked out an understanding.

Elsewhere on the pitch, much will depend on who is fit to play I suppose.

I am still looking for one of Edwards or Wright to have a barnstorming game on the wing. I think there is talent there and I am looking forward to seeing it.

That said, our teenage full-back Junior has been entrusted with playing more forward these last two games.

He also has talent, pace and an excellent touch. What I also love about him is that he is completely unphased by the more intense level of first team football and also the relegation scrap we are involved in.

Obviously there are parts to his game, especially defensively, where he will improve in time as he gets more experience, but he has clearly caught then eye of the coaches, who are now backing him ahead of two older defenders.

A huge question to finish with this week U’s fans. With the importance of our home games being undeniable, just how can we replicate the atmosphere that you all created in London last Saturday afternoon?

I regret to say that within our stadium it can be much harder to achieve, with much depending on the South Stand lads and lasses.

I do think that a boisterous family enclosure is a big help to the overall buzz, so could more be done to entice these families along whilst conditions are perhaps not the warmest for the younger generation?

Thanks as always for your excellent support. Please do all that you can to get behind the players tomorrow and for the rest of the month, especially at Northampton next Saturday, and let’s keeping climbing that table.

Up the U’s!