Colchester United boss, Joe Dunne, believes that his team’s current plight is down to their own failings, not the strengths of the opposition.

The U’s only avoided relegation on the last day of last season, by winning at Carlisle, but they don’t want to leave it so late to determine their destiny this time around.

That means a big improvement, at both ends of the pitch, starting at Peterborough United tomorrow evening.

“We have to fight now for the next seven games, to see where we are,” insisted Dunne.

“It’s an acceptance we are just three points above the bottom four. We don’t have so much of a cushion, because just one game can change it now.

“You just can’t comprehend the mistakes we have made defensively, to aid the other teams scoring goals. That’s what is difficult.

“It just seems that every error we make, is proving costly. But we need to take our chances at the other end as well, and players should have taken them at Notts County (2-0 defeat last weekend).

“I thought we dominated the first half of that game. We had plenty of shots and hit the post – we are a hard luck story at the moment.

“We didn’t start the second half well. I think we were still shell-shocked, and the game was dead by the time we made changes.

“We have to accept we are down there,” added Dunne.