ETHAN Ross has stressed all of Colchester United’s focus is on beating Lincoln City on Saturday – and letting other results take care of themselves.

The U’s know that they must beat the newly-crowned champions at Sincil Bank this weekend and hope other scores go in their favour elsewhere, if they are to bag a coveted League Two play-off place on the final day of the season.

Colchester lie three points off the play-offs ahead of their game against the Imps adrift of seventh-placed Newport County and two points behind Exeter City, who are eighth.

Nothing other than a win will do for the U’s but goalkeeper Ross is looking forward to the challenge.

Ross said: “Everyone is still positive and we have a job to do.

“It’s not entirely in our hands but we’re not thinking about anyone else.

“All we’re thinking about is going out and winning at Lincoln.

“We need a win but the teams around us this season have been really inconsistent.

“They’ve been picking up points here and lost them there so it’s definitely on the table for us, if we pick up our points.

“What an exciting finish to the season – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a season like this before where there’s been teams in contention.

“It’s been great to be a part of.”

Ross is set to retain his place in Colchester’s line-up for the game at Lincoln, having been handed his first-ever league start at MK Dons last weekend.

The 22-year-old has been handed his chance, following Dillon Barnes’ suspension and Rene Gilmartin’s knee injury.

Ross and Barnes have worked under player-coach Gilmartin this season and the former West Bromwich Albion youngster says he has enjoyed working in the environment.

“Reg puts the sessions on and he’s the coach but ultimately, we’re all competition for each other and that’s important,” said Ross.

“It’s a bit different and I’ve never had that before but there’s no sort of bitterness about anything – the goalkeeper group is really strong and we all work really well together.

“We all know when one of us needs pushing a little more and we all keep each other on each other’s toes, definitely.

“The goalkeeper group is really strong this year.

“Reg has been great this year, developing the goalies.

“He’s obviously got a dual role and a lot of coaches probably wouldn’t be able to deal with that in the same way.

“He’s done really well because he’s played but he’s always said that the focus for him is developing the young boys as well.

“When I spoke to him in the summer, it was a big thing for him to work with young goalies and to develop them, as well.

“At the end of the day, Reg is a player and we all want to play games.”