Statistics do not always tell the whole story.

But the numbers currently associated with Colchester United seem to neatly reflect their predicament.

Of the bottom seven teams of League One, only games involving Crewe Alexandra have produced more than the 21 goals scored in the six matches the U’s have played so far.

And while that might rightly suggest that Colchester are an entertaining team to watch, with their enterprising attacking display at Chesterfield a case in point, it is also a prime factor behind their inability to register a victory more than a month into the new campaign.

For while the eight goals the U’s have scored show they are currently one of the most potent sides in the bottom 12, they are nevertheless not taking enough of their chances.

And the fact that they lie third from bottom has as much to do with their shortcomings at the other end of the field.

Only the two sides immediately below Colchester in the table – Crewe and Blackpool – have shipped more than the 13 goals conceded by the U’s so far this season.

Chesterfield looked dangerous at times last weekend but the three goals they scored were more a product of Colchester’s ragged defending than any enterprising attacking play.

Put simply, Colchester’s opponents have generally not had to work hard for their goals.

And keeping with the statistical theme, the numbers that stacked up at the Proact Stadium were a case in point.

The U’s had 23 shots on goal in the match, ten of which were on target.

In comparison, Chesterfield produced ten shots on goal, with just five on target.

So despite enjoying the vast majority of the attacking play - Colchester boasted more than nearly three-quarters of the possession – they still had to rely on a stoppage-time own goal to salvage a point.

It was probably the best illustration yet of why the U’s are in the lowly position they are in.

Having shipped 12 goals in their last four league and cup games, the stark statistics undermining their challenge are clear for all to see.

For a full preview of the U's game at Sheffield United tonight, see Tuesday's Daily Gazette.