COLCHESTER United’s current group of players have the opportunity to create another piece of club history, tomorrow night.

So to convincingly beat one of the country’s most in-form teams in the fashion that they did was the perfect way to warm up for their much-anticipated Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Crawley Town.

Over recent years, Newport County have more often than not been the League Two side going into games with vital cup games on the horizon.

So far this season though, it is the U’s who have taken up the status as the division’s giantkillers following their splendid victories over Premier League clubs Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, in the previous two rounds of the EFL Cup.

Colchester’s excellent triumph over the Exiles sends them into tomorrow night’s big last-16 tie in front of a sold-out Broadfield Stadium crowd in perfect mood.

They will be brimming with confidence perhaps in contrast to their opponents, who head into the game on the back of a 4-0 home thrashing at the hands of Swindon Town.

Time will tell how much the clubs’ respective league results at the weekend will have a bearing on tomorrow night’s fixture.

But one thing is for sure, Colchester’s players will not be short of support when they make the trip to West Sussex in search of a quarter-final spot.

More than 1,600 U’s fans are expected to travel to Crawley for the tie and given the manner of their side’s performance against Newport, they will do so in good heart.

Colchester produced a display full of energy, vibrancy and flair in their 3-1 win; it was arguably their most impressive performance of the season.

With four points out of six taken against two of the league’s strongest clubs over the past few days, there is no reason why John McGreal’s side cannot make cup progress.

But they know that they will have to perform over the whole of the 90 minutes – and possibly keep their nerve again in any possible penalty shoot-out – if they are to continue their Carabao Cup adventure.

It’s been little more than a fortnight since the U’s produced a solid first-half display to lead at Crawley at half-time, only to throw away all of their good work by allowing their standards to drop in the second half to lose.

McGreal will be at pains not to allow that to happen again and if Colchester can play to their full potential tomorrow night, there is every chance that their cup adventure can continue and they can reach the League Cup quarter-finals for only the second time in the club's history.