COLCHESTER United manager John Ward has been drumming a triple D mantra into his players this week as they look to overcome their first set-back of the season.

A club record 10-game unbeaten start to the season was brought to an abrupt end last weekend with a 3-0 home defeat to Huddersfield.

The experienced Ward remains positive though and has asked his players to remember a motivational piece of alliteration going into tomorrow’s game at Oldham.

“I have given the players three easy words to think about,” said the 59-year-old.

“Disappointment, determination, decide.

“We’ve had our disappointment, now we’ve got to decide how determined we are to put that right.

“Yes we lost a game last weekend and we deserved to lose that game, but now we’ve got to decide what we are going to do about that.

“I want to see a reaction from my players and for them to show me that they can deal with set-backs because a hallmark of a good side is if they can bounce back quickly.”

He added: “I’m not going to get too uptight about one defeat. I read a lot of criticism about Scotland after their qualification game last weekend and a few days later everyone is saying how wonderful they are after pushing Spain all the way.

“That’s football – it’s fickle. One day you are great and the next day you are poor.

“As a young manager you lose two or three on the trot and think the whole world’s going to cave in, but as you get older you learn how to deal with set-backs a lot more and how to deal with your players in these situations.

“I told the players that I wanted them all to come into training on Monday morning and have smiles on their faces when I passed them in the corridor because this has been a happy, positive place to be around this season and I don’t want that to change.”

– Full interview in today’s EADT.