Colchester United boss Danny Cowley on Crewe Alexandra clash

And boss Danny Cowley says he is embracing the pressure that comes with keeping the U’s in the Football League.

The U’s know a point at home to play-off chasing Crewe Alexandra today will be enough to secure their League Two status tomorrow, regardless of Sutton United’s result at MK Dons.

Danny and Nicky Cowley have experienced key end-of-season games at both ends of the table in their career and the Colchester management duo are ready to meet the challenge, head on.

Cowley said: “We’ve lived these moments many times before.

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“For us, it’s normally when we’ve been trying to get promoted and not in relegation situations.

“We’ve lived these experiences a lot and we know how to manage in the pressurised moment.

“For us, pressure is an unbelievable privilege.

“It’s a really big game and these are the games that you want to be involved in.

“You work your whole life to be able to master your craft and to be able to perform in these moments.

“For us, we always run towards the pressure and that’s what we’ve always done and we’re looking forward to trying to find the best version of ourselves, in the most important moment.

“I see this as the biggest game of our lives because ultimately, it’s the next one and the next one is always the biggest.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing people in my lifetime, whether it be in football or in education and with all those amazing people, I’ve never met anybody that can change the past.

“So, all the things that have gone this season, all the things that have happened, no-one can influence or affect that anymore.

“It’s a one-game season and we have total clarity over what we need to do.

“We know what we’re going to do, in terms of the way that we’re going to play and approach the game and now, we have to execute it.

“We’re professional people and that is what we’re trained to do and that’s what we expect to do.”

READ MORE: Danny Cowley only interested in winning ahead of Crewe clash

Colchester lie three points above Sutton in the table and are in the driving seat, going into the game at the JobServe Community Stadium.

If the U’s lose 1-0 and Sutton win 3-0, then the two teams would be level on points, goal difference and goals scored, as well as a tied head-to-head record.

In that event, the team with the highest number of wins will finish in the higher league position.

And as Colchester have won two more games to Sutton, they would stay up.

“This is the life of the football supporter – the highs and the lows, the rollercoaster, it’s why we love the game,” added Cowley.

“We’re so fortunate at this football club to have so many people who have such a relationship with the club and all of these people are going to feel a mixture of excitement, nerves and anxiety.

“I always think nerves are a good thing – I say this to the players all the time.

“If you can harness your nerves, then they give you a huge amount of adrenaline and energy which allows you to perform at your best.

“If you’re on the pitch and you’re one of those fortunate XI that are playing or you’re in the stands, just bring your A game on Saturday, bring everything you’ve got, drive the players’ energy, support them the way that you’ve supported them since the moment we came in here.

“Our supporters are so incredible and if we can achieve what we set out to do when we arrived, then that gives us a brilliant foundation to be able to then move forward.”