OLLIE Mann is cursing his luck after a week-long trial with Colchester United was cut short by injury after just half an hour!

The Brantham Athletic striker, who was the leading scorer in the Ridgeons League last season with 41 goals and attracted the interest of several Football League clubs, was injured in a tackle and forced to withdraw.

Mann, who has already scored six goals in just five Premier Division games for Brantham this season, said the injury was to the left knee he had an operation on at the end of the 2009/10 season after winning promotion with Brantham to the top flight.

“It is nothing serious and is manageable. There is just some fluid on the knee.”

Mann, who celebrated his 22nd birthday earlier this month, said: “I had taken a week off work and was going to have a week’s trial, starting on Monday.

“I had been training for about half-an-hour and went into a tackle. There was some contact and I went down like a sack of potatoes.

“I could not play on any more, so I had some lunch and some treatment before going home.

“They said the door is still open and they will have a further look at me when I am fit again.

“I am really disappointed about it, but these things happen,” added Mann, who works as a carpenter.

Mann, who sat out Brantham’s 3-2 win at Woodbridge on Wednesday night, said he is hoping to be fit to play for Brantham against CRC in the Second Qualifying Round of the FA Vase at the R Costings Abbey Stadium on Sunday.