Colchester United midfielder Joe Edwards believes that the U’s can do a ‘Barnsley’ and embark on a winning run to escape the relegation zone.

The U’s are deep in trouble at the foot of League One, having won just once in their last 19 league games.

This dreadful run – they have not won any of their last 15 league games, with 12 defeats and three draws – has seen the U’s slip to eight points adrift of safety.

Yet Edwards cites the example of fellow League One club Barnsley, who have propelled themselves away from the relegation mire in spectacular fashion over the last couple of months.

The Tykes were in the relegation zone, after losing eight games on the bounce up to mid-November.

They steadied the ship with a couple of wins, include a 3-2 success at Colchester on December 12, but when they suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Wigan the following weekend, they were still stuck in the bottom four, with just 21 points from 22 games.

At the time, Barnsley were just one point better off than the U’s, but that has all since changed, and dramatically, with now an amazing 20 points separating the two clubs.

While the U’s have failed to win a league game, in the same period the Yorkshire club have won seven games on the spin to move up to 10th in the table, just five points adrift of the play-offs, as well as booking a Wembley trip in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

“It is possible, like Barnsley have proved, to go on a five or six-game winning run,” insisted Edwards.

“I think that’s because the majority of teams are quite similar this season. No team is running away with it, unlike last season with MK Dons and Bristol City.

“We haven’t been outplayed by many teams, perhaps Wigan away (5-0) is the only one. So we believe we can win any game, and if you get that first win, then it starts building.

“I see that Barnsley have won eight of their last 10 games, and now they are right up there.

“So it shows that it can be done. I’m sure we can do a Barnsley and get a run of wins going.”

The U’s entertain Swindon Town this afternoon, before entertaining Chesterfield in another home fixture next Tuesday evening.