FIACRE Kelleher believes a never-say-die attitude will be key for Colchester United in their crucial five remaining games of the League Two season.

The U’s head to Crawley Town on Saturday a point adrift of safety in the table, as they strive to move out of the relegation zone and stay in the Football League.

Colchester pushed promotion-chasers Stockport County and Wrexham all the way in their last two games and defender Kelleher knows they must show a similar mindset, in the games they have left.

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Kelleher said: “I am more than confident that we’re going to be OK.

“We have a lot of good lads in that changing room and Danny and Nick (Cowley) have been superb.

“We’ll be absolutely fine – I know that, I feel it.

“We’re showing all of the signs of being in a really good place – unfortunately, it’s just not dropping for us at the moment but from my experiences, it does when you put in that effort, so we’ll be fine.

“A never-say-die attitude is exactly what you need in this kind of run in.

“We had it last year; I’ve been in this kind of situation a few times before and that can see you through.

Gazette:

“We have a lot of quality in that changing room and so many good players here including on the bench with players who are making a good impact when they come on, so we’re in a really good place as a squad.

“I suppose the pleasing aspect (against Stockport) was that we kept going until the very end.

“The belief is definitely there and right up until the last minute, we were having a really good go.

“We just need to continue that into the next five games.”

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Kelleher made his first Colchester start for nearly four months in their defeat to Stockport County, on Tuesday night.

The 28-year-old has been hampered with a back problem which left him sidelined for a chunk of the season.

“It’s been a strange journey for me, these last few months and this season really,” said the former Celtic youngster.

“My body has just kind of given in on me, this season, which has been really hard to take.

Gazette:

“My plan is to play as big a part now as I can and make sure that I do my job.

“I try to rely on things like being aggressive and being competitive are things that can get me into a game and find my rhythm, so I try to focus on those things.

“Dan and Nick (Cowley) have been so good to me and trusted me to put me in there and I feel I didn’t reward them for that, so I’m not happy with that aspect.”