THE U’s FA Cup trail begins tomorrow and let’s all hope the road is long one.

Not bothered if there's a few twists and turns along the way but please can we enjoy a bit of a cup run again.

I still think that this competition is special. The U’s have some excellent history to be proud of which still eclipses the not so proud stuff, like Bedlington, Gravesend and Oxford City.

Tomorrow will hopefully be one of the good cup days. No dodgy non-league pitch or opposition and perhaps, given the league positions of both teams, the U’s will be the underdogs to Accrington?

Could it be an advantage? Just as long as we bark the loudest and come home with the win.

And winning is what the U’s are doing currently. Even when not at their very best, like last week against Swindon where we really dropped down to their level of football.

They were one of the poorest teams I’ve seen this season and the U’s found it almost too easy in the first half but just didn’t press the accelerator and truly dominate.

Great work by Nouble and Szmodics got us the goal but sadly the whole mood was tempered by seeing Norris stretchered off.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed for our leading scorer and hard-working front man.

So who will get the nod to lead the line? Will Mandron be brought back in from the bench or will the gaffer turn to big Frank and bring Brennan back into the starting XI?

Have to say that I do like a leftie attacking on the left. The U’s started the season with Frank up front and it didn’t totally work in my opinion but as his confidence has grown, he could now do very well as our focal point.

That said, I am normally wrong when second guessing John McGreal, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Tom Eastman acting as our closet centre-forward.

The Checkatrade Trophy beckons on Tuesday night with the much shorter trip to Cambridge United. Don’t forget that it’s a 7pm kick-off, folks.

It may be the least favourite football competition in the country but it’s a winner-takes-all game for the U’s so I’m looking forward to it.

Then it’s the pre-Christmas run in from hell. Apart from bottom dwellers Macclesfield we have to take on virtually every other team in the top chuck of League Two.

Quite a test for any team and so they’ll need all of your support if you can lend it please.

Good luck tomorrow U’s and if you’re on the road to support them, please have a safe and secure journey.

Jon Burns, Colchester United Supporters Association chairman