DOUBLE goal-hero Richard Garcia believes that top-of-the-table Colchester United will now be the target of every other team in League One, writes Carl Marston.

By Carl Marston

DOUBLE goal-hero Richard Garcia believes that top-of-the-table Colchester United will now be the target of every other team in League One, writes Carl Marston.

Front-runner Garcia leapt off the substitutes' bench to lift the U's to top spot, thanks to a brace of close-range goals in a 2-1 defeat of Port Vale on Saturday.

It was the highlight of what has so far been a frustrating season for the Australian attacker. He knows that he, and the rest of the team, will have to raise their game still further to stay in the promotion race.

“We are now top of the table, which means that other teams will be looking to bring us back down to earth,” admitted Garcia, who appeared as a 73rd-minute substitute against Vale.

“Teams have been looking at us for a while, and plotting our progress, but I guess that they will now be making an extra bit of effort to knock us off our perch.

“We are hoping to stay up there. People want to dislodge us, but we believe that we can't be beaten at the moment. It's this belief that has helped us again today,” added Garcia.

The former West Ham 24-year-old benefited from assists by Chris Iwelumo, on 74 and 87 minutes, to nudge the U's above previous leaders Southend in the League One table. They were Garcia's third and fourth goals of a truncated season - injuries, and a return to his native Australia for a family bereavement, have restricted him to just three league starts all campaign.

“Call it bad luck, or just fate, but I've been having a nightmarish time with injuries. It's not been great,” admitted Garcia.

“However, today I was in the right place, at the right time, to score twice. Chris (Iwelumo) has scored a lot of goals himself, so it's about time that he set up a few for me!

“They were poacher's goals. I scored the first one with my first touch. All I had to do was divert Chris' header past the keeper.

“Our heads didn't drop when Port Vale got their equaliser.

“We kept at it. There have been several close shaves during our tremendous run, but we've usually been able to get the winning goal.

“It feels great, but it just wasn't about my goals today. It was about the whole team. The effort from the lads over the last three months has been terrific.

“Now we have a couple of cup games (at Cheltenham and against Derby). That might give our rivals a chance to get back at us in the league, but we will have games in hand,” added Garcia.