EXPERIENCED Colchester United defender Luke Chambers says he has no fears that they will be dragged into a League Two relegation scrap.

The U's lie four points above the League Two drop zone, following their 1-0 defeat at managerless Stevenage on Saturday.

Colchester face high-flying Exeter City tomorrow night looking to lift themselves away from the bottom two.

But 36-year-old centre-back Chambers says he is confident that they can move back up the table.

Chambers said: "There's a lot in this team.

"We've had a fairly decent run, we've had a good FA Cup performance, we played well in the Papa John's Trophy at Ipswich and had the win the week before against Scunthorpe, so there are a lot of positives.

"We have people in the dressing room wanting to make an impact off the bench, so I don't have any fears at all.

"We showed enough quality and enough threats on the pitch (against Stevenage) - we hardly gave them a chance but we've got hit by a penalty.

"That's football and sometimes you don't get what you deserve.

"We'll take the positives and look at how we can be a bit less naive, in the last five minutes of the first half."

Colchester were beaten at Stevenage after Elliott Lines converted a penalty deep into first-half stoppage-time to win it for the hosts.

The U's bossed possession at the Lamex Stadium and created more chances than Boro but ultimately had nothing to show for their efforts.

Chambers said; "I'm absolutely devastated for the group and I'm gutted we haven't won or even got a point from the game.

"The travelling fans packed out the away end and made noise from minute one.

"When you're out on the pitch and you feel that pain as well as your own, it's not a nice feeling at 5pm on a Saturday night.

"At the end of the day, it's a game of football that we feel we should have got something out of.

"We gave ourselves a mountain to climb by going 1-0 down at half-time and they were always going to sit in - they're on a difficult run as well.

"We had the message before the game of do not give them any encouragement and unfortunately, we have.

"Unfortunately, we went 1-0 down but we have to do better to take something from the game.

"I thought we were a constant threat going forward and not particularly troubled defensively.

"But that can always happen and maybe complacency can set in when things are going to plan.

"We missed a few chances, we didn't get on the end of a few crosses but these things happen.

"In this division, you have to score when you're on top.

"We had opportunities that we feel we could have nicked a goal from.

"When we were on top as much as we were, we have to score in those key moments."

List scored from the spot after referee Trevor Kettle had adjudged that the Stevenage attacker had been fouled by Colchester goalkeeper Shamal George, inside the box.

Chambers said: "At the time, I thought it was outside the box but these things happen so quickly and without having seen it back, I can't be sure.

"I did say to Trevor Kettle, the referee, that it was outside but they've got a job to do and a decision to make.

"Unfortunately us giving the ball away and turning over possession cost us in the end."

Colchester are now preparing for their home clash with Exeter City, who lie second in League Two after five straight wins and have lost just once in the league, this season.

Chambers added: "It'll be a different test for us against Exeter.

"They'll want to have a lot of the ball as well I'd imagine and it'll be a tough game.

"But if we want to do anything, we need to put a little bit of a run together and it's got to start now."