COLCHESTER United boss Matt Bloomfield is urging his team to maintain their improved level of performance ahead of their trip to play Mansfield Town tomorrow.

The U's are preparing for their first league game for a fortnight and are aiming to follow up their fine 3-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers.

Colchester, who sit just outside the League Two relegation zone, have shown improvement in their last few games as they aim to move away from danger.

And head coach Bloomfield is confident the results will come, providing they keep their standards high.

Bloomfield said: “We believe that the last few performances have shown we’re improving and we have to focus on the performance, because without the performance you can’t get the outcome.

“The process is really important in our lives and we have to keep pushing.

Gazette:

“My belief in the squad has never wavered and I don’t think it has amongst the boys in the squad either.

“We felt a positive vibe within the building ever since I’ve been in and the lads have bought into everything that we’ve tried to implement.

“Momentum is a big thing in sport and can be a massive part of what you’re trying to do.

“We’re trying to create and build and cultivate a culture, strategy and structure of the team, some tactical elements and an environment where we want to come to work every day, so there’s loads going on.

“It does take time but at the same time, we’re really excited about the group of lads we’re working with.

“The senior pros are right on side and I think they’re really good people who have had top careers and they want to help us move forward.

Gazette:

“The energy that the young lads have been showing and the performances that they’ve putting in has been really exciting, too.

“We’ve enjoyed working together, during the time here.”

Colchester's game at Mansfield will be their first competitive match for ten days.

In contrast, the Stags have had two games since the U's played Bristol Rovers in the Papa Johns Trophy, on November 23.

The fixture break has given Bloomfield additional time on the Florence Park training ground and the U's boss says it has been highly beneficial.

“It’s been extremely valuable time," said Bloomfield, who has been in charge at Colchester for just over two months.

“It was a really tough schedule in the first six weeks I was in the building and it was really limited training time.

Gazette:

“I’m thankful for the last two weeks, not having midweek games and last weekend, not having a game and being able to have some real time on the grass with the players, which we’ve thoroughly enjoyed.

“There’s been loads of work done out there on how we want to move the team forward and the lads have been training really, really diligently and working really, really hard.

“We’ve been able to get some extra work done in terms of fitness work, sharpness and tactical stuff.

“We’ve actually really enjoyed getting to know the players a bit more in terms of the training and to keep moving forward as a team.”