Colchester United’s fit-again full-back, Kane Vincent-Young, believes that the League Two table is beginning to take shape, and that the U’s can stay up there in the top seven.
John McGreal’s men have slid back to seventh in the table, the last play-off berth, following last Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to promotion rivals Mansfield Town, and results elsewhere.
Vincent-Young has been playing with a broken toe in recent weeks and was only a substitute against the Stags, but the chances are that he will return to the starting line-up at Crewe Alexandra tomorrow.
“Crewe play a similar style to us, so I’m expecting a good footballing match,” explained Vincent-Young, following yesterday’s training session.
“It’s a very competitive league, so a couple of wins can push you right up there, while a couple of defeats can see you drop down a few places.
“I think the table is beginning to take shape now. We are seventh, and our aim is to stay in and around it for the rest of the season.
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“We have good character in the team, and it’s testament to ourselves that we have stayed up there for so long.
“It hurts us after a defeat, because we are a dressing room of winners. Last weekend’s defeat hurt us for a while. It was a tough one to take, and we were naturally disappointed, having been 2-0 up.
“But we have moved on from that,” added Vincent-Young.
Camden-born Vincent-Young, who was in Tottenham’s Academy until his release in 2014, has not looked back since his switch to Colchester, initially in their Academy, in that same year.
In fact, the 22-year-old is already closing in on 100 league appearances.
Tomorrow’s outing at Crewe is set to be his 96th league game in a U’s shirt, and his 110th in all competitions.
He would have been reaching century landmark even quicker, if it wasn’t for a broken toe that has caused him to miss a couple of recent matches – the away victories at MK Dons (1-0 in December) and at Port Vale (3-0 a fortnight ago).
“It’s good to get back into action,” continued Vincent-Young.
“I had to miss the Port Vale game, which I didn’t want to do, but it was good for my body to recover.
“I had been playing with a broken toe, but I’m not sure of the state of it now. It is still painful, but I am able to play on it OK.
“I’m not doing any damage to it by playing, which is the important thing.
“I did it towards the end of the match against Macclesfield (1-0 home win on December 8) when the toe was stamped on.
“It was really sore, and I trained just the day before the next match, at Carlisle. I managed to get through that game, but it was very sore the following day when I found out that I had a fractured toe.
“I’ve had a couple of injections, which helped, because I didn’t want to miss the Christmas period. Now it feels like brand new, and I am raring to go.”
The U’s will have their work cut out tomorrow, against a Crewe side who have the fourth best home record in the division (29 points from 14 home games).
But Vincent-Young is confident of another successful away-day.
“The goals are coming again, for the team,” explained Vincent-Young. The U’s have netted eight goals in their last three fixtures.
He continued: “We started last weekend’s game really well, and scored a couple of goals (Tom Eastman and Courtney Senior), but Mansfield then showed what a strong team they are.
“We have been defensively quite strong this season, and I am sure that will return after last weekend’s disappointment.
“Teams are trying to stop us scoring, by sitting off us and waiting for us to try and break them down. I think that’s a credit to us.
“The experienced lads in the dressing room are always quick to lift spirits, especially the likes of Harry Pell and Luke Prosser, but even us younger boys have played a lot of games between us now.
“We will go again this weekend.
“Crewe are a good team, and we all know (Crewe striker) Chris Porter from his time with us. I was only 18 or 19 at the time, but I remember him as a very good professional and a good guy.
“We know all about his strengths,” concluded Vincent-Young, with reference to target-man Porter, who has scored five goals in his last six appearances for the Railwaymen.
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