Prior to his team hosting Colchester United last weekend, Uwe Rosler had called for his Brentford side to be more clinical in front of goal.

It is a sentiment that his U’s counterpart John Ward would presumably echo in relation to his own side, after they fired blanks again.

The fact that Colchester are yet to register a League One victory this season is a worry in itself.

But it does not take a genius to work out that one of the main reasons behind their winless run of five matches is a shortage of goals.

No wonder they have been taking part in extra shooting practice in training this week.

Colchester have hit the net just three times, in the six league and cup matches they have played this season.

Two of those goals have come from defenders – Michael Rose and Magnus Okuonghae – in a 2-2 draw with Portsmouth.

The other was scored in the 1-1 draw with Sheffield United by a striker, Clinton Morrison, although Okuonghae cheekily claimed it was his.

Aside perhaps from the thrashing at Tranmere Rovers earlier this month, it is not as though Colchester are not creating chances.

Both Ian Henderson and Freddie Sears spurned opportunities to hit the net for the U’s in the 1-0 defeat at Brentford and Ward was happy with his side’s creativity.

But in a division as tight as League One, when you do not take your chances you are more often than not made to pay.

Few would argue that the U’s game at Griffin Park was not finely-balanced.

It might have gone either way, although the Bees admittedly had the better of the opportunities.

But without the cushion of a lead the pressure builds, particularly away from home.

And as solid as the U’s back four and goalkeeper Mark Cousins were for the majority of the match, a lack of goals at the other end can have a detrimental effect on other areas, not just on the confidence of the forward players.

Ward has firepower in his side and has highlighted that the likes of last season’s leading goalscorer Anthony Wordsworth and Andrew Bond are capable of chipping in with goals on a regular basis.

But they need to start scoring soon.

The Colchester manager knows that after a disappointing start to the season, he must now tap into his wealth of managerial experience in order to find the best way to realise his side’s goalscoring potential.