Heath searching for perfection

COLCHESTER United kicked off their 2011-12 campaign with arguably the result of the weekend, a 4-2 win at newly-relegated Preston.

But defender Matt Heath, never an easy fellow to please, was not altogether satisfied with his performance. He is clearly a perfectionist at heart.

The U’s travel to former bitter rivals Wycombe Wanderers (a rivalry stemming from their days together in the Conference in the early 1990s) for a Carling Cup first round tie this evening. Just four days later, the two clubs will meet again in a League One clash at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Heath was of course as delighted as anyone with the opening day triumph at Deepdale, but he wants to improve still further.

“There are a few things that we can work on in the week,” insisted Heath.

“I am quite self-critical, and I could point out a few things that I wasn’t too happy with at Preston, but that’s me really!

“A clean-sheet would have been perfect, but it wasn’t too bad.

“We didn’t want to shout about it, but we were quietly confident going to Preston. We were always expecting to put on a good show.

“We have a squad that is quite settled and has been together for quite a while, which sometimes helps. We have worked well together and the manager has a close-knit group,” added Heath.

The U’s won only one of their last 17 away games of last season, so no wonder Heath is eager for back-to-back away victories this week.

“You always want to keep your winning run going, because it can then become a bit of a habit,” explained Heath.

“It will feel unusual playing the same opposition twice in four days, but we will be able to have a little peak at each other’s teams before the weekend.”

U’s boss John Ward has no new injuries ahead of this evening’s visit to Adams Park.

Keeper Ben Williams (recovering from a viral infection) and midfielder Andy Bond (ongoing dental work following his nasty collision with keeper Mark Cousins in pre-season) remain the only two absentees.