MICHAEL Rose had made just one cameo appearance, as a late substitute against Preston, since being dropped after the 6-1 thrashing by Stevenage on Boxing Day.
But Rose returned with relish at Exeter on Saturday, to deliver a man-of-the-match performance in a 1-1 draw.
And yet he was still quick to praise his rival full-back John White, the man he replaced, during post-match interviews.
Rose explained: “I’ve not played since Boxing Day, when I was ill against Stevenage (club record 6-1 home defeat).
“It’s hindsight saying that I shouldn’t have played against Stevenage, because I was ill, but if I hadn’t have played we could have won and I’d have lost my place anyway!
“Johnny White has been doing a great job at left back. I would put him there as being our best defender. He’s done really well, even though he is not left-footed.
“But hopefully I can now finish the season strongly and show the Colchester fans what I came here for.
“It’s been a long wait, and I have not really got going this year, to be honest. I will probably write this one off, though I want to put a run together for the rest of the season,” added Rose.
The 29-year-old defender was certainly disappointed that the U’s could not hang on to their 1-0 lead at Exeter, after he had set up Karl Duguid for the opener.
Referring to Duguid’s goal, Rose continued: “I picked the ball up, and there was quite a bit of space in front of me so I ran forward and Doogs (Duguid) made a great run.
“I just slipped him in and Doogs did the rest.
“We had enough chances to win the game. The gaffer summed it up – we didn’t do enough in the final third.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here