Richard Brindley is relishing the prospect of a break from the pressures of scrambling for league points, when Colchester United take on Championship strugglers Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup this weekend.

Brindley served up a man-of-the-match performance in the U’s 1-1 draw at Oldham last Saturday, a result which finally ended a joint club record nine league defeats on the bounce.

Kevin Keen’s men clambered off bottom spot, thanks to that solitary point at Boundary Park, but they remain five points adrift of League One safety, with a terrible goal difference to boot.

That’s why this tomorrow’s third round tie is a welcome distraction for the U’s, who face a tough four months ahead trying to avoid relegation into the fourth tier.

“We’re confident that we can get a result, and we’re confident that we can get a win against Charlton,” insisted Brindley.

“With the position they are in (second-from-bottom) at the moment, they are having a difficult time. I’m sure we can cause them problems.

“It’s a good game for us, and it’s a great competition to be involved in.

“We look forward to a break from the pressure games in the league, and I think it’s a good time for it to come around, after the draw at Oldham.

“We can now concentrate on Charlton, and then return to the league.

“A good result could help us in the league, and a cup run could work in our favour,” added Brindley.

Right-back Brindley believes that the U’s obtaining their first point in 70 days, at Oldham last weekend, will be a turning point going into the final 21 games of the campaign.

“The result at Oldham is something for us to build on,” continued Brindley.

“It’s been a difficult time for us, but the heads have been lifted by the new manager (Keen) coming in.

“I think we are making progress.

“We know that we don’t deserve to be at the bottom, and that with the players we have got in the team, we are good enough to be at the top.

“We can beat teams at the top, I feel we’re more than capable of doing that.”