Colchester United have a chance to cement their place in the top seven, when play-off rivals Forest Green Rovers visit this evening.

The U’s replaced Rovers in the top seven, following Saturday’s rip-roaring 3-0 home win over Newport County, and the Cotswolds club’s own 3-0 defeat at lowly Morecambe.

John McGreal’s men can open up a six-point gap over tonight’s visitors, if they can replicate Saturday’s superb home showing, and that would go some way towards securing an end-of-season crack at the play-offs.

Naturally, no one is getting carried away at the JobsServe Community Stadium, not even man-of-the-moment Courtney Senior, who bagged the U’s second against Newport while delivering a man-of-the-match performance.

“We are taking it game by game,” insisted flying winger Senior.

“This is a big week, and it’s good to beat the teams in and around you.

“But I’m just really enjoying my football, and Saturday was up there as one of my best performances.

“The gaffer gives me a chance, he’s really on me, and I play my best football when I’m playing with freedom and enjoying it.

“I had more shots than I have ever had (against Newport). The boys tell me to keep shooting, and I had a few off target, but I’ve been told be more selfish at times.

“The Newport manager (Mike Flynn) came up to me and said ‘excellent,’ which was nice, but we mustn’t get carried away,” added Senior, who has now bagged six goals this season.

Senior’s 25-yard strike against Newport was a real cracker, but even that was upstaged by fellow winger Frank Nouble’s stunning shot to put the U’s 3-0 up.

It was Nouble’s eighth goal of the campaign.

Manager McGreal enthused: “Noubs scored a fantastic goal, not too dissimilar to the one against Cheltenham (3-0 win).

“We know he can do that – he tends to score unbelievable goals from wide areas.

“And as a team we do score some brilliant goals,” added McGreal, who could stick with the same team tonight.

Squads

COLCHESTER: Gilmartin, Jackson, Eastman, Kent, Vincent-Young, Stevenson, Nouble, Mandron, Szmodics, Senior, Norris, Prosser, Dickenson, Eisa, Roberts, Wright, Chilvers, Barnes.

FOREST GREEN ROVERS: Ward, Mills, Godwin-Malife, Gunning, James, Winchester, Grubb, Digby, Williams, Doidge, McCoulsky, Brown, Scoble, Shephard, Collins, Rawson, McGinley & Thomas.

Referee: Alan Young (Cambs)