GOOD old fashioned wing-play!Paul Lambert was accused of not fielding out-and-out wingers in his team during his successful two years at previous club Wycombe Wanderers, but that criticism could never be levelled at the Scotsman during his first few months at Colchester.

Carl Marston

GOOD old fashioned wing-play!

Paul Lambert was accused of not fielding out-and-out wingers in his team during his successful two years at previous club Wycombe Wanderers, but that criticism could never be levelled at the Scotsman during his first few months at Colchester.

Lambert has recruited three wingers - Lewis Gobern (on loan from Wolves), Simon Hackney (from Carlisle), and Ashley Vincent (from Cheltenham) - to support fellow wide-man Mark Yeates at the Community Stadium.

And he was quick to explain why he picked up that unwanted reputation at Wycombe.

“It was brilliant at Wycombe, but they are a bit mad on this. The truth is that I never had the personnel to play wingers,” explained Lambert.

“”I never had wingers, but that didn't stop us going on a good cup run and playing Chelsea! Kevin Betsey was about the only natural winger that I had, and he ended up leaving to go to Bristol City.

“I thought we did all right playing without wingers, but sometimes you get some bad blood,” added Lambert, who guided Wycombe to the League Two play-offs in his second season in charge.

Injuries robbed Lambert of three of his wingers for last weekend's trip to leaders Leicester City, which ended in a 1-1 draw. But there is better news ahead of Saturday's visit to sixth-placed Scunthorpe.

Left-winger Hackney missed out due to a groin problem, but he is back in training and so should feature at Glanford Park.

Gobern played 45 minutes for the reserves in the goalless draw against Luton on Tuesday afternoon, and so could also return to the squad, while new signing Vincent, who is expected to make his move from Cheltenham permanent this summer, returned to training today after a few weeks out with a knee problem.

However, striker Steven Gillespie is still sidelined with a swollen ankle, and so will not play at Scunthorpe. He is also set to miss the trip to Millwall next Tuesday evening. Midfielder Anthony Wordsworth is also struggling with an injury.