BRENDAN Wiredu knows Colchester United must improve their home form if they are to realise their League Two promotion dream, this season.

The U's were beaten 1-0 by Crawley Town at the JobServe Community Stadium at the weekend and have managed just one point from a possible nine - and one goal - at home so far.

Hayden Mullins' side had gone into the Crawley game on the back of an excellent 3-2 triumph at Barrow.

But they failed to follow it up and midfielder Wiredu knows things must quickly improve, on home soil.

Wiredu said: "If we're to achieve the stuff we want to achieve this season and what we can achieve, we've already identified that we have to do better at home.

"I think everyone knows that.

"We went away to Barrow and got an excellent victory but teams that get promoted win games on the bounce.

"If we want to get promoted, we need to win these games at home.

"It's football and everyone knows that one week can be excellent and the second week can be a poor week.

"Personally, I think we should have got more out of the game but everyone can question, did we do enough to get more out of the game?

"Training had been excellent all well and we came into the game looking to get three points, so it was extremely disappointing for us to not get at least a point against Crawley.

"We'll go again this week and then hopefully go to Swindon and get something from it."

Gazette:

Wiredu produced a typically all-action display for Colchester against Crawley.

The combative 21-year-old was in the thick of the action throughout and the former Charlton Athletic youngster says he is always prepared to give everything to the cause.

"Since I've come here, every game has been like that for me," said Wiredu, who signed a two-year contract extension with Colchester in the summer.

"I put my body on the line, get chances, bookings - honestly, I'd do anything for the club.

"They've put trust in me and I want to keep going back to it.

"Since they've brought me in in January, no-one has instilled the trust in me that they have.

"So the only thing I can do is to work hard and give everything I can on the pitch and worry about it after.

"I'm not going to shy away from anything.

"If I need to go in for a tackle, I'll go in for a tackle.

"And if something boils over, I'm not going to stand down because I'd like to say I want to make that pitch mine.

"If you want to come here and play, you have to play on my pitch."

Colchester assistant manager Alex Dyer took charge of the team against Crawley, with head coach Hayden Mullins absent from the game due to illness.

But Wiredu has stressed Mullins' absence was not an excuse for the U's disappointing defeat.

He added: "Alex Dyer has done a lot of things in the game; he's very experienced and he knows his stuff.

"It's good that we have Hayden and Alex Dyer as one and two.

"The gaffer wasn't here but he was on the phone throughout the game so he was still giving input.

"We've got JDS - Jon de Souza - and Dave Huzzey, so we've got a good team around us to do things."