Nicky Smith naturally has fond memories of Colchester United’s double-winning season.

After all, the left-sided player was an integral part of Roy McDonough’s all-conquering side of 1991-92 which regained the U’s Football League status and lifted the FA Trophy at Wembley.

Smith was an ever-present for Colchester in that memorable season, walking off with the Player of the Year award and other accolades.

Crucially, he also netted his first-ever goal in U’s colours in their 2-1 win at Wycombe Wanderers, who pushed them all the way for the GM Vauxhall Conference title that year before Big Roy’s side were crowned champions on goal difference.

Smith’s goal in that game will forever be overshadowed by goalkeeper Scott Barrett’s extraordinary strike, which proved to be the winner for Colchester.

Nevertheless, scoring in that game proved a crucial moment in what was a gripping title race that stoked a rivalry that had existed between the two clubs since the U’s suffered an FA Cup upset at Wycombe, in 1985.

Relations between the two sets of fans are not quite as heated, these days.

But animosity still exists and Smith believes history will dictate that there is added spice when the old foes meet in League Two at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, tomorrow afternoon.

Smith told the Daily Gazette: “There’ll be a few there on Saturday because of the history with Wycombe and I hope Colchester can put in a good performance.

“A few crunching tackles might not go amiss, to get the home crowd even more behind you.

“In the Conference days when we were competing against Wycombe, we were in it together.

“We knew that games against Wycombe were going to be blood and thunder and you got yourselves up for those games.

“We stuck together and if you ran down the line and lost the ball, you couldn’t not track back because you would have someone like Tony English in your ear.

“That’s what I would like to see more of from the current Colchester side, a little more graft.”

U’s Hall of Famer Smith is well qualified to talk about the performances of the present-day Colchester side, having been present at their League Two games both home and away in his role as a police officer.

It has been a mixed start for John McGreal’s side, with their strong home form not matched by their performances on the road, where they have lost all four of their matches.

“The Community Stadium seems to be a bit of a fortress and they take the game to the opposition there,” said Smith, who spent four seasons at Colchester in the early nineties.

“I was at the Chesterfield game and in the second half, they had them on the ropes and should have won the game.

“But I’ve seen them away from home at Cambridge and Luton and they tend to sit back and don’t seem to have that penetration in the final third.

“When you’re on a winning run, everything seems to go in but the opposite is true if you’re on a losing run.

“They are different surroundings away and the home crowd surrounds you but that shouldn’t really make a difference.

“Last season, they had a few more experienced players down the spine of the team like Chris Porter and George Elokobi and I think that makes a difference.

“But they’ve moved on and to get an experienced forward costs money.

“Away from home, they could do with a Big Roy (McDonough) figure up front – someone who can lure defenders in around him.

“In a game like the Chesterfield one where Colchester were chasing an equaliser, Roy would have said to us ‘put it in the box’.

“Colchester play some pretty football – they’re good athletes and they’re technically good on the ball.

“But if things aren’t going well, you need to also graft and bust a gut to get back and win the ball back and the crowd want to see that effort put in.

“You want the players to go out on the pitch and take the game by the scruff of the neck.

“I think there’s a little bit of a lack of confidence away from home at the moment. It’s a difficult one and they’re a young team but they have to keep playing and be positive.”

Smith feels stopping powerful striker Adebayo Akinfenwa will be a crucial task for Colchester tomorrow.

He added: “Akinfenwa is a key man for Wycombe and I thought George Elokobi played him very well, last season.

“It’ll be a key test – Ryan Inniss has done well so far and I think that will be a key battle tomorrow.”

Given his history with Wycombe, it was the kind of duel Smith would have relished.