Ryan Jackson is a strong believer that Colchester United can still reach the League Two play-offs, despite the Essex club remaining a little off the pace with just four fixtures remaining.
The U’s 1-0 home defeat to league leaders Accrington Stanley last weekend has left the U’s four places and four points adrift of the top-seven, a sizeable gap at this late stage of the season.
Furthermore, John McGreal’s men are up against opponents who are above them in the table, in all of the last four matches, beginning with tomorrow’s home fixture against fifth-placed Notts County.
They travel to sixth-placed Lincoln City the following weekend, before ending their home campaign against Swindon Town (ninth) and finishing the regular season at Exeter City (fourth). The Grecians still nurse hopes of automatic promotion.
It is likely that the U’s will need to win all four matches, or at least take 10 points from a possible 12, to gate-crash the end-of-season play-offs, but right-back Jackson is staying upbeat.
“Morale is very high and we are feeling very positive,” enthused Jackson.
“We still all believe that we can make the play-offs, because there are plenty of points (12) still to play for.
“We believe that we can get a result against Notts County this weekend, because we played really well at their place earlier in the season and were unlucky to lose.
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“I don’t think that we have got some good recent results just because the pressure is off us. In fact, we always have pressure on ourselves and on the team. We all have our targets, and our ambitions, as individuals and as a team.
“We have never stopped believing, even when we weren’t winning matches, because we know that we are good players.
“Results went with us during the week (both Mansfield and Swindon only drawing), so we remain four points off the pace.
“And it will give us an extra edge, playing teams above us during the last few matches. It’s an opportunity for us to halt their momentum, as well as boost out own chances.
“We can knock back a few of our rivals,” added Jackson.
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