COLCHESTER United boss John Ward says there is no need to focus too much on the three late equalisers his side have conceded this season.

The U’s have seen victories slip from their grasp in the last 10 minutes against Exeter, Sheffield Wednesday and Carlisle in the opening month of the campaign.

And while those goals have slightly soured an otherwise hugely promising start, Ward doesn’t want his players dwelling on them too much.

Speaking ahead of today’s trip to Walsall, he said: “I spoke to someone whose opinions I trust about this and his answer was that it is all in the mind.

“It’s no good getting the players too concerned about the last 15 or 20 minutes because if they think they are going to concede then they probably will. It’s like a golfer talking himself out of a putt.

“If my players do want to think about the last few minutes of the game, I’ve told them to think about Rochdale where we scored a winner late on.”

He added: “It’s not just about the goals we’ve conceded either. It’s also about the goals we could have scored to finish these games off.

“Carlisle did just about out-shoot us on Friday, but that’s the first time that’s happened this season.

“In terms of creation I’m happy, but we haven’t always finished that creation off and that’s something we need to work on.

“We’ve got goals in us all over this team – Andy Bond, Ian Henderson and Anthony Wordsworth have already shown that – so we will keep working hard on getting those final balls and crosses into the box.”

– For full article, see today’s EADT.