Colchester United boss, John McGreal, insists that his team will “keep pushing” despite the recent slump in results that has almost certainly killed off their play-off hopes.

A meagre haul of just one point, from a possible 12 in their last four games, has seen the U’s drop to nine points adrift of the top seven. They are down in 13th spot.

A win at Morecambe tmorrow night would lift them back into the top half of the table, in 11th place, and to either six or seven points off the play-offs, depending on how eighth-placed Exeter fare at struggling Port Vale.

But it still looks a massive task, to even threaten the play-off berths, during a tough run-in that includes matches against all the top three clubs.

“We’re gearing ourselves up for Morecambe. We will keep moving,” insisted McGreal.

“A lot of the boys have contracts on the go at the time as well.

“We’ve still got nine games left, and until it’s not mathematically possible we well keep pushing.

“We should have been leading the game (1-0 home defeat to Yeovil on Saturday), but key moments have prevented us getting points this season. We haven’t shown that little bit of quality.

“We have got to pick the players up for Morecambe, although we shouldn’t need to pick them up much.

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“We have targets where we want to get into, in-and-around the play-offs, and the boys should be chomping at the bit to come back with a game so quickly, to get Saturday out of their system.

“They are a hard-working bunch. They put in a lot of effort, but have been wasteful in those key moments in games. The quality and decisions you can question, but not the effort.”

Squads

MORECAMBE: Roche, McGowan, Lavelle, Winnard, Conlan, Kenyon, Rose, McGurk, Thompson, Wylde, Lang, Oliver, Campbell, Wildig, Brough, Fleming, Lund, Ellison, Muller & Nizic.

COLCHESTER: Walker, Eastman, Prosser, Kent, Vincent-Young, Lapslie, Murray, Wright, Szmodics, Mandeville, Guthrie, Mandron, Comley, Shodipo, Stevenson, Senior, Rooney, Ogedi-Uzokwe, Jackson, Dickenson & Barnes.

Referee: Richard Clark (Northumberland)