COLCHESTER UNITED SUPPORTERS' ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN JON BURNS DELIVERS HIS EXCLUSIVE WEEKLY COLUMN IN THE STANDARD WITH HIS VIEWS OF THE U's: The U’s supporters have been putting the miles in over the last week with our West Country excursions.

Thankfully the U’s have now caught up on their winter away postponements.

We’ve now got more home games left than away ones – glad that’s over.

Although I enjoy coach travel, I’ve been missing regular WHCS games.

Also, the U’s have finally got the away win monkey off their backs courtesy of a gift of a goal for Kayode at Bristol Rovers.

It still needed putting away and it will do his confidence no end of good.

Injuries have blighted the U’s this season as someone reminded me last night.

Think of our potential and possible first choice back four Wilson, Magnus, Reid and Tierney – they are either long-term injured or AWOL.

That’s why I think we are truly indebted to the likes of Lee Beevers, John White and Ben Coker. Pat Baldwin has also been in and out with injuries and it was good to see him on the bench again this week.

For me, though, the top blokes are Matt Heath and loanee Nathan Clarke.

These have been my first two on the man-of-the-match sheet this week, which means two things – they’ve been brilliant and sadly they’ve seen too much of the ball.

Our defence has been busy because we’ve not so much struggled to keep possession, it’s that we’ve been just a little bit wasteful.

Take Bristol for example, their defence was quite average and on many occasions we got behind it thanks to Henderson and co. It’s once we’ve done that bit that we just need to convert more of the large number of opportunities that come our way.

To be honest, the U’s could have had three or four on Tuesday and it wouldn’t have looked generous.

It’ll come I’m sure and I would love it most dearly if it was against Southampton tomorrow.

If you can afford just one more game this season, then I would recommend it.

I understand that tickets have been selling well and against a strong Saints contingent, we’ll need big voices and support.

Back to last week and I’ll confess that I felt great disappointment with the Plymouth defeat.

OK so the sending off was harsh and that galvanised them and the penalty decision was as tame as any you’ll see, but we could have done so much better with the ball and with our decision making.

Half an hour against ten men should have led to three points or at least us holding a point.

It was a long day and several on board felt a little bit let down.

We got over it quickly, though, and the win at Bristol restored our faith.

Still plenty of work to do, but I’m of the feeling that it’s in the players’ hands now.

If they truly want a punt at the play-offs and a final at Old Trafford (yes please) then it’s theirs for the taking.

Ignore the league table at the moment.

Only one or two are consistent.

Our last promotion party saw the U’s go on a great unbeaten run.

Any team that does that will be successful in this league and it can be us whatever the doubters and party poopers may think or write.

Please really get behind the players tomorrow and over the remaining 13 games.

Up the U’s!