JOHN Akinde is ready to start firing on all cylinders for Colchester United - and guide them to League Two safety.

The experienced striker has had a stop-start opening to his U's career since joining them in January, after contracting Covid-19.

Akinde made only his fourth Colchester start since arriving from Gillingham when he featured for 70 minutes in his side's 1-0 defeat to leaders Forest Green Rovers, on Monday night.

It was the longest the 32-year-old has been on the pitch in a match for the U's since his return from Covid in mid-February.

And after performing well in the televised clash, he is now keen to last the entire 90 minutes in the club's remaining eight games of the season, as they bid to avoid relegation.

Akinde said: “That’s the aim for me and the manager.

“I want to be playing for 90 minutes, seeing games through to the end.

“That’s what we’ve been working together on, on the training pitch.

“It feels good starting games and I just need to build on that.

“It takes time but we’ve got eight games, so we do what we can.

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“It’s been a frustrating start for myself, with Covid knocking me back fitness wise.

“But it’s good to get the minutes, feeling good and feeling better so hopefully, I can just kick on.

“I feel like the understanding is building between myself and the other attacking players and that only comes with time.

“It’s been a very turbulent start for myself but hopefully, I’m at the other end now.

“It takes time on the pitch and time in training to build that rapport but I feel that’s definitely happening."

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Colchester are preparing for a third successive game against an automatic promotion-chasing team when they host Tranmere Rovers, on Saturday.

The U's lie eight points above the relegation zone, with both teams going into the match at the JobServe Community Stadium needing points for very different reasons.

“These are the reasons we play, to be involved in the big games against the teams that are above us that are meant to be better than us, something we don’t believe," said former Lincoln City and Barnet forward Akinde.

“We have the quality and the players and it’s now just turning that into points.

“This team has some quality players in it.

“We have it in abundance and we obviously work really hard on the training ground and in each game.

“We’ve got the utmost confidence that we’ll be OK, as long as we keep performing like we have been, creating the chances and hopefully keeping them out at the other end.

“We’ve just got to get the points on the board.

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“We came away from the Forest Green game thinking we could have got something from it against the top of the league side and that’s a positive.

“It felt like we created some decent opportunities.

“We could probably have tested the keeper a bit better but the main thing is that we’re getting the chances against good sides in Forest Green and Bristol Rovers.

“It’s about the next step and converting those.

“We’re trying to focus on the positives, like the chances we’re creating and the positions we’re getting in.

“It’s just now about taking that final step and starting to convert them.”

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Colchester's match against Forest Green saw them play a Game for Ukraine, raising more than £65,000 for charity.

Every penny of the £10 per person ticket price will be donated to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, via the British Red Cross.

Akinde added: “We’re well aware of what’s happening and we’re happy to do our part, as little as that is but we’re happy to try and help out.

“It’s not until something significant like this happens that you realise what’s really important.

“It’s a sad situation but like I said, we’re just happy to do our part."