Colchester United stalwart, Tom Eastman, believes that the U’s are a few points short of where they should be this season.

The U’s are four points adrift of the play-offs, going into their last four games of the season, but centre-half Eastman insists that they should have been gracing the top seven by now.

Instead, last Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to league leaders Accrington Stanley, ending a run of three straight wins, has left them with a massive task to make the play-offs.

“We are a few points off where we should be, looking at some of the games we have lost at home, like Barnet and Yeovil,” explained Eastman, with reference to the 1-0 defeat to the Bees and Glovers.

He continued: “That’s the difference between getting in the play-offs, and missing out. It’s fine margins.

“Accrington are a top team, and looking like they are going to go up. They made it tough for us.

“ I thought we played OK in the first half. It was tight, but the game opened up a bit when they scored.

“They stopped us playing, which I think is one of their main strengths, stopping the opposition from playing. They are very well drilled, know what they are doing. They are all on the same wavelength. We came up just a little bit short.

“We didn’t have too many clear-cut chances. It was a frustrating game for us, because we know we are a good side. We should be higher up the table, and are definitely a few points short of where we should be.

“But we have a good run-in, and it’s a chance to test ourselves against more of the top teams.

“We are certainly not going to take our foot off the pedal. None of the boys will be doing that.

“We won’t make it easy for anyone playing against us, that’s for sure,” added Eastman.

The U’s entertain fourth-placed Notts County this Saturday, before travelling to play-off candidates Lincoln City on Saturday week.

Their last home game is against another play-off contender, Swindon Town, and they end the regular season with a trip to Exeter City, who still harbour hopes of automatic promotion.

The U’s are currently in 11th spot, four points off the top-seven, although that gap will become five if either Swindon or Mansfield win their game in hand tonight.