‘It’s now or never’ – Joe Dunne

COLCHESTER United are one step away from League One safety, but also only one step away from League Two oblivion.

Manager Joe Dunne was fuming, after witnessing his side’s luke-warm, lack-lustre goalless draw against visiting Shrewsbury Town last Saturday.

If the U’s had beaten the Shrews, then they would have been safe from relegation.

But now, as it stands, Scunthorpe’s surprise 1-0 win at MK Dons has left Dunne’s men needing a point from next weekend’s final fixture, which is a long, long way from home at Carlisle United, to be sure of staying up.

It is a scenario that the U’s should never have got themselves into, in Dunne’s eyes.

“It’s now, or never. That’s it!” insisted an angry Dunne.

“We have got to produce next week, because we have to think Scunthorpe are going to get the win (home to Swindon) that they need.

“It affects family lives, it affects lives – that’s the kind of game it is.

“This is a big week coming up. It’s a week where you are either going to be a League Two player and disappear out of the game, or you are going to be a League One player pushing on.

“But it shouldn’t have gone down to the final game of the season.

“I’m furious. We were lack-lustre and we let fear get in the way of everything.

“There was a big crowd, we got booed at the end, and rightly so.

“To play like that, when it’s in our hands! It’s been in our hands the last three games, and we’ve picked up just one point in nine.

“We are staring at relegation in the face.”

Despite Saturday’s disappointing result, the U’s are still in a reasonable position going into next weekend.

If Scunthorpe fail to beat Swindon, then the U’s will avoid relegation whatever their own result at Brunton Park.

But a point from their Cumbrian trip will guarantee League One survival without help from elsewhere.