So what's next for Colchester United and us merry bunch of fans?

Crewe away on Tuesday night will be a stern test against a team - and a certain Chris Porter who is scoring goals for fun.

Then it's Newport County at home, a nice second Saturday home game in two weeks.

It's a very important game, not just for the sake of the season but also for the overall confidence that needs to be reinstalled all round.

Then we get ready for next Tuesday and the whisper on everyone’s lips - the League Cup game against Crawley.

We will have to be on top form firing on all cylinders if we are to beat them and progress into the next round and hopefully a game against a Premier League side.

But that is all in the future and there is 180 minutes of football before we can even think of that.

It's a Tuesday night at Crewe under the lights and let’s be fair, we have seen how much can change in just 45 minutes.

One thing that is for sure is that we need to stick together and really get behind the lads and hope for a turnaround of results in the second half of this month.

After a disappointing trip to Crawley last weekend, all eyes were on the JobServe Community Stadium ready to see what response the U’s would produce to set the good ship promotion back on course.

Sadly, all that was found was rough water and an attack that was left floundering on the rocks.

How can a team go from so convincing in the first half last week to an alarming drop off over the next 135 minutes of football?

It was like a completely different set of players came out then and started on Saturday.

I know that everyone will have their own ideas on who should start or what formations we should be playing, but on paper the team that was put out last weekend should have been up to the task of beating a lowly Morecambe.

But alas it was not to be and even with the changes in the second half nothing seemed to have an effect.

We were all left hugely disappointed following a failure to take any of the six points that have been on offer.

It's highly frustrating and goes to show what a fight any promotion-chasing team is up against.

We're in a league where form only counts for so much and anyone is able to beat anyone on their day.

Callum Harriott made a welcome, if not surprise, return to the starting line-up last Saturday.

Most U’s fans when asked would probably have expected him to have started on the bench and make a 20-30-minute appearance in the second half.

Instead, he was thrust into the first XI and sadly wasn't able to influence the game as much as he or others would have liked.

The question of whether or not it was too much too soon for Callum will be answered over the next few matches.

If he came through with no further injury niggles then the run out will have really helped his match fitness and sharpness, ready for him to have the impact we all know and hope it can have.

But if he's rushed and pushed too far too soon, then it could end up being counter-productive.

Colchester United season-ticket holder Si Collinson