Fit-again Matt Briggs is eying up the play-offs as Colchester United look to unseat the Chairboys
Matt Briggs, on the ball during his first appearance of the season at Blackpool in February, believes the U's deserve to finish in the play-offs. Picture: RICHARD BLAXALL - Credit: Richard Blaxall / Colchester Uni
Matt Briggs is eying up the League Two play-off zone, which Colchester United will gate-crash if they can return to winning ways against promotion rivals Wycombe Wanderers this evening.
Matt Briggs is eying up the League Two play-off zone, which Colchester United will gate-crash if they can return to winning ways against promotion rivals Wycombe Wanderers this evening.
Despite the U’s suffering back-to-back defeats, at the hands of Crawley and Accrington Stanley, two clubs from the lower half of the table, and also lumbered with an awful injury list, Briggs remains upbeat going into the final 15 fixtures of the campaign.
Defender Briggs was introduced as a substitute at the start of the second-half of Saturday’s 2-1 defeat at Accrington, and he will be hoping to start against Wycombe tonight – he did not make his first appearance of the season until the start of this month, due to hip and back problems.
“We can’t let ourselves get down about all the injuries,” insisted Briggs.
“I’m personally feeling fit. I’m feeling 100% fit, and hopefully I can maintain my place going forward.
“It will be a good game, against Wycombe. We have a point to prove, after our recent defeats, and we managed to win there (2-0 in August), so this is a great opportunity for us.
Most Read
- 1 Paul Cook sacked by Ipswich Town
- 2 Will it be another lockdown Christmas?
- 3 Matchday Recap: A replay awaits as Town fail to beat Barrow
- 4 Harsh or fair? Here's what Town fans are saying about Paul Cook sacking
- 5 Ipswich Town set to announce caretaker manager
- 6 Driver arrested for being four times over legal limit
- 7 Body found in woods near Mildenhall
- 8 'We're probably not as good as we think we are' - Cook on FA Cup draw with Barrow
- 9 Hundreds sign petition to fix closed Suffolk road as MP visits site
- 10 'Gutted to see the gaffer go' - Norwood on Cook sacking
“It’s a big few days. The other results went for us with last weekend, with teams around us also losing, so we are still only three points behind the top seven, with a game in hand.
“Now we have two home games this week, so we must think positive and push on.”
Following tonight’s clash, the U’s are on home turf again this Saturday when they entertain relegation candidates Hartlepool.
A win this evening, which would secure a second league double of the season (following a first double over Cheltenham) would see the U’s leapfrog four places into seventh spot, on goal difference.
But the U’s will have to improve drastically on their below-par display at Accrington.
Left-back Briggs admitted: “We weren’t really at it, at Accrington. They were two bad goals to concede, and I thought our heads dropped a little after that. We didn’t show enough to come back.
“I didn’t think we did enough to deserve a point, not on that performance. We made it very difficult for ourselves.
“But we’ve got to stay positive.”
