Colchester United’s slip away from the race for a League One play-off place in recent weeks has increased the pressure on players, according to skipper Kem Izzet.

The long-serving U’s midfielder said the players don’t want to see the season drift away and feels there is more weighing on them now that they have to make up points than when they were up with the top-six sides.

He said: “I’m not sure there was any pressure on us other than what we put on ourselves.

“We believed we would be in the play-offs or as close to it as possible so to have drifted off it a bit, maybe the pressure is on us a little bit more.

“We don’t want it to peter out, we want it to go on."

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