Banter With Burns - CUSA chairman Jon Burns with his weekly thoughts on Colchester United

Firstly, I already moan enough about gentleman officials so I reckon that a few more ladies with whistles or flags can’t be a bad thing.

Also, I have a feeling that one or two of my friends who used to play for Colchester United Ladies would seek me out for some punishment if I ever said anything detrimental.

And to be honest, I don’t want to get beaten up, so I’m going to avoid this currently thorny subject.

Thank goodness that part is over, now back to the U’s this week.

Anyone got any spare centre-halves please?

With Magnus out for longer than first thought, Reid now sitting in Scunthorpe and a hot young prospect snatched from under our noses by Swindon, we appear to be struggling in that department.

Pat ‘Rio’ Baldwin’s red card hasn’t helped matters and I guess that it’ll kick in for tonight’s game against Peterborough.

So it looks like it’s down to you Matt Heath.

Good thing that he’s playing well at the moment, as evidenced at Huddersfield and Brighton.

Have no fear, though, because what usually happens just after I press ‘send’ on the Banter, John Ward pops up and makes a loan signing to solve the problem.

Will he this time and will he have time?

If not, then I reckon that Beevers will get the nod or maybe even John White.

To be honest, it wasn’t that long ago that a certain Phil Ifil played centre-half for us v Peterborough and did a good job, so don’t despair too much U’s fans.

Just like against Bournemouth, we can expect the team to rally together and play well, even though they’ve had hardly any recovery time since Tuesday night.

Just like Bournemouth too, we can expect great support from the stands tonight I hope.

They’re going to need it.

Moving back a week, the U’s put in what I would describe as a heroic performance at high-scoring Huddersfield.

It was one of those games where everyone clicked and worked very hard.

Baldwin and Heath were immense against Alan Lee and Jordan Rhodes, Ben Coker also rose to the occasion at the back, but the star of the piece was Ben Williams, whose handling was the finest we’ve seen.

He looks to have got his mojo back and long may he keep it.

Was it all backs to the wall?

Not at all.

In the first half, Mooney and Bond could have had one each with better finishing and you may have already read that Kayode almost won it for us in injury-time.

It was a great game and a good point.

I was hoping that we’d have something of the same at Brighton.

Sadly I couldn’t go and hats off to those U’s fans who made it and had to endure the elements and a position two miles from the pitch.

From what I’ve picked up so far, the Seagulls were a class act befitting their unbeaten home record and our guys looked a little bit jaded.

Old pros will smile, but it’s a tough ask to play twice in a week at the pace of League One football, hence why I’ve said that the U’s must survive till the end of February.

Charlton will be a tough ask next Tuesday and then before you know it they’ll be on a coach for Hartlepool.

While I’m not expecting a large U’s following in the North East, I do hope that many of you will come out to support at Charlton.

So what of tonight?

Well maybe the best form of defence is attack.

It has been two goalless games for the U’s since the Gilly double so perhaps he’s good value for a start.

Matty Villa, who certainly looked the part in the Huddersfield warm-up with his Fergie sized chunk of chewing gum, could also be in the frame.

If Bond needs a time out, then that would be the perfect position for our Icelandic international.

Whatever John Ward decides, I would put money on an entertaining game because the Posh strength is most definitely in attack.

Come on you U’s!

The league table position looks poor, but it’s wide open for anyone who can put together an unbeaten run with a good smattering of wins.

We’ve done it before, let’s do it again.

Up the U’s!