IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton has today given his neighbour and rival boss Geraint Williams a vote of confidence.If the Blues win at Layer Road on Saturday they will send Williams' club Colchester down.

Elvin King

IPSWICH Town manager Jim Magilton has today given his neighbour and rival boss Geraint Williams a vote of confidence.

If the Blues win at Layer Road on Saturday they will send Williams' club Colchester down.

Three points for Town would enhance their chances of a play-off finish, and this has to be Magilton's aim.

But he feels that Williams, who lives close to Magilton on the outskirts of Ipswich, is the man to bring the good times back to the U's.

If Colchester suffer relegation, Magilton today revealed that there's no better person to lead them back up than Williams.

The stakes are high for the last derby at Layer Road, and Magilton said: “George's (Geraint's) character will see them through whatever lies ahead.

“If they do get relegated, he's certainly the man to bring them back up.

“There's absolutely no question of that.

“The club are on the threshold of something very big.

“They've got a fantastic new ground on the way, they're very much on the up and he would definitely deserve the chance to get them back in the Championship.”

In his Town playing days, Magilton helped the Blues go up to the Premiership in 2000, only to be relegated two years later.

He can sympathise with the U's plight. Saying: “If Colchester were to go down, there would be parallels with what happened to us.

“George has probably found out more about himself and his team this year than last (when the U's finished tenth).

“What happened then was fantastic because they were potential play-off contenders and up there on merit.

“It was always going to be difficult to replicate that but they're not down yet and, if they were to beat us, it would give them a glimmer of hope.”