Colchester United manager Joe Dunne hailed his players after they led the club to the brink of League One safety by thrashing Brentford.

But Dunne insisted that he will not be celebrating keeping the U’s in the division and narrowly avoiding relegation.

Colchester’s stunning 4-1 victory over the already-promoted Bees has left them three points above the bottom four, ahead of their final game of the season at Walsall, this Saturday.

And with the U’s goal difference superior to that of all of the sides below them, it would take a significant goal turn against Dunne’s side on the last day of the season for them to be caught now.

Nevertheless, Dunne stressed he would not be rejoicing the fact Colchester are almost certainly staying up.

Dunne said: “Mathematically, we’re not safe and I want us to finish as high as we can.

“Staying up is very important for the club – it means that we can progress with our philosophy.

“But I won’t be celebrating escaping (relegation) by the skin of my teeth, in the position we’re in.

“That’s just me but if anybody else wants to do that, I’m absolutely delighted for them.

“I just want to see my family because they’ve been through hell.

“I’ve won a game as a manager and that’s great but I want to win more.

“We should be hungry to do that and I have a lot of young players coming through who will win games.”

For five pages of coverage of Colchester United's big win over Brentford, including full interviews with Joe Dunne and Marcus Bean, see Monday's Daily Gazette.