RENE Gilmartin insists Colchester United’s players will take on the league leaders in confident mood this weekend – despite their defeat at Grimsby Town.

The U’s were unable to register a third successive win in League Two last night after falling to a 1-0 defeat at Blundell Park.

But they have no time to feel downbeat about the loss, with the visit of Lincoln City to the JobServe Community Stadium for John McGreal’s side.

Colchester keeper Gilmartin says there were lots of positives to take from their performance at Grimsby – and believes they will approach their clash with the Imps in good heart.

Gilmartin told the Gazette: “We play the league leaders at the weekend and bring it on, because we are playing very well at the moment.

“It was a disappointing loss (at Grimsby) but we can still look at the performances that we’ve put in over recent weeks and see that it’s all positive.

“We’re still in the play-off positions which is where we want to be for a whole season – that’s our target.

“You can then go on a run as we’ve seen from other teams last season and that’s the plan.

“We’ll look at the Grimsby performance where there were lots of positives and train and prepare for Saturday, to try and get a victory.

“There’s a heart and desire in this team.

“It’s a great group and they’re not taking any losses lightly.

“It’s a very fit group but also a willing group, to keep going and going.

“We never want to drop points and that’s the way the group is.

“To have back-to-back away trips with a bit of distance between them and see the willingness to try and get the goal back.”

Wes Thomas’s well-taken strike midway through the second half condemned Colchester to defeat at Grimsby.

But the U’s had plenty of chances throughout the 90 minutes, with Courtney Senior coming closest to finding the net for them with a header that hit the woodwork.

“It was a disappointing result,” said Gilmartin, who made his fourth successive start for Colchester at Grimsby.

“We came into the game on the back of a very good run and a very good away win.

“We knew that they were going to press us high and stop us playing the football we wanted to play.

“They were very difficult conditions in the first half but I thought we defended really well and probably had the best chance of the half.

“You don’t expect to concede a goal when you’re in the ascendency in the second half.

“We defended so well and made some good blocks and it was just unfortunate that the goal went in.

“There will be positives from the performance but when you debrief the result, nothing changes.

“We’ve dropped points and we don’t want to do that but we roll on to Saturday, because there isn’t anything else you can do.

“The attacking football is there and the chances are being created.

“We hit the crossbar and we were in their half for most of the second half but for whatever reason, it hasn’t fallen for us.

“We will always create chances – I think we’ve probably created the most chances in this league.

“It just didn’t fall for us and there will be games like this for every single team in the league.”