Colchester United could move into League Two’s top seven today with a win at second-placed Notts County.

But the U’s stand-in skipper Tom Lapslie is aiming higher than the play-offs, this season.

John McGreal’s side are currently setting the pace as the division’s form team, following a six-match unbeaten run and just one defeat in their last ten matches.

They can pull to within six points of their hosts with a win at Meadow Lane and Lapslie says they should be aiming high, after their recent impressive results.

The 22-year-old said: “If we carry on our run that we’re on now, there’s no reason why we can’t finish in the top three.

“Notts County are up there at the moment but if we beat them, we are six points behind them.

“I know there’s a long way to go and I’m not getting ahead of myself but why not?

“If we go for top three and finish a little bit short, then we’re in the play-offs.

“If we try and get into the play-offs and finish short, then by the middle of May we’re on holiday rather than trying to get promoted.

“Let’s aim as high as we can and see where we go and maybe at the back end of the season, we can maybe reassess our goals and see where we’re at.

Lapslie was in the Colchester side that lost 3-1 at Notts County, last season.

It was a comprehensive defeat for the U’s and the tenacious midfielder says they are determined to produce a much better performance this time around, against a Magpies side yet to lose at home in the current campaign.

“It’s a tough game but it’s a nice game to go in to,” said Lapslie.

“They’ve been doing well but we’re in a rich vein of form at the moment, so it’s a great time to go there.

“When we went there last year, we didn’t do ourselves justice so it’ll be nice to go back and right the wrongs, from last season.

“We love the big games and they’re nice to play in.

“Confidence is high and the boys are looking sharp in training.

“People who aren’t in the team at the time are still working hard and training well - everyone’s buzzing and morale is high.”

Colchester will be aiming to continue their impressive away form today.

After losing all of their opening four games on the road, the U’s have not lost any of their last five matches on their travels in League Two and have kept successive clean sheets in their last two away fixtures.

Lapslie added: “Our away form has really picked up.

“We had a meeting about it before the Grimsby game and I feel like it’s made a difference.

“Something has clicked now and we’ve got some big away wins like Newport and Barnet and draws at the likes of Coventry - we’re hoping to carry that away form.”