Experienced centre-half, Tom Eastman, is no stranger to last day deciders, having already been involved in a couple of never-wracking final day showdowns during his eight seasons at Colchester United.

However, for a change, this weekend will see the U’s pushing for a League Two play-off place, rather than striving to avoid relegation.

Eastman has rattled up more than 300 first-team games for the U’s (314), since his move from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2011, and notched 303 career league appearances (286 for the U’s).

Two of the highlights were certainly the final-day 2-0 win at Carlisle United, in 2012-13, when Eastman scored the second goal at Brunton Park, and the 1-0 home win over Preston in 2014-15, results which kept the U’s in League One.

The U’s had to rely on results elsewhere to stay up in 2015, and once again they will have to pin their hopes on results elsewhere falling for them on Saturday, in addition to winning at champions Lincoln City.

Although the odds are stacked against it, John McGreal’s men are hoping to snatch that last play-off place to stand a chance of returning to the third tier.

At least the U’s kept their play-off interest alive, with last Saturday’s 2-0 win over MK Dons, although they are still two points off seven-placed Exeter, and that gap to seventh spot will be extended to three if Newport County beat Oldham this evening.

“It’s a little bit unfortunate that all the other teams won as well last weekend,” admitted Eastman.

“But we’ve got to go there and beat Lincoln, and hopefully it will somehow work out.

“It’s a big game. Obviously they are champions and have gone up already, but hopefully we can go there and get the win.

“It’s good to still be in with a chance, having let ourselves down with that poor little run (just two wins in 10 games between mid-February and mid-April), we didn’t do ourselves justice then.

“I’ve been involved in these sort of games before, against Carlisle and Preston, though obviously this is at the other end of the table, with us trying to go up rather than just stay up.

“We have got to go there and get the three points, that’s all we can do,” added Eastman.