MATT Macey believes Colchester United’s trip to play Cambridge United tomorrow night is a chance for them to put things right following their dismal defeat at struggling Barrow.
The U’s have a quick turnaround with their game at high-flying Cambridge as they look for an instant response, following their 1-0 reverse at Holker Street.
Colchester were left smarting after Niall Canavan’s late goal condemned them to defeat at a Barrow side who had lost their previous six games and goalkeeper Macey admits everyone must now take responsibility to quickly bounce back.
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Macey, 31, said: “Ultimately, it’s a case of looking at ourselves really quickly, because we have a game Tuesday.
“The good thing I think is that when we’ve had days like that - and they’ve been few and far between this season and last season - we’ve always bounced back.
“Tuesday night is as good an opportunity to go and show that.
“I think I just see it as an opportunity to go and put everything right.
“I don’t really believe in form, especially at this level.
“We’ve had some of our best performances away from home against the odds at tough places like Notts County, Walsall and Gillingham.
“It’s down to us to show our best face and that’s what we’ll be looking to do.
“It’s a case of going to the drawing board and looking at why we weren’t at it in the first half.
“Individually, everyone has to look at themselves and ask is it the way you prepared, is the way you prepared through the week, for the journey – the best players do it, no matter what.
“There’s a lot of young players in there and they will learn from this.
“They will know for next time that ultimately, the best players can go anywhere in any situation regularly, week in, week out and we’ve spoken about that in the changing room.
“Everyone now needs to take responsibility and prepare right to go to a really tough place and perform.”
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Colchester went into the Barrow game on the back of an announcement that a takeover bid involving Alexandre Pato had failed in addition to some key injuries but Macey stressed there were no excuses.
“It’s always painful, especially when we’ve come all this way and the fans have come all this way – it’s about as bad a feeling as you get in football,” continued Macey, who has made 82 league and cup appearances for the U’s.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty but there’s been no excuses and that’s been the message.
“We’re going to have to look at ourselves.
“You can feel sorry for yourself or you can have a look at yourself and take responsibility.
“The fans came a long way and if we go and put that on and we don’t take responsibility, that’s just not what this club has worked so hard to build since I’ve been here and since the manager has been here.
“Responsibility is what has got us so far and is what will get us hopefully, a really good end to the season.
“If we don’t, the season peters out and it’s a shame for everyone but I know full well that there’s good people in the changing room and good people at the club and everyone will dig in and there will be a response, on Tuesday night.”
Colchester did improve in the second half at Barrow after a flat first-half display but ultimately had nothing to show for their efforts.
Macey added: “They score from a late set piece but that’s not what wins them the game.
“What wins them the game is us not laying a glove for 45 minutes and giving them hope and an opportunity.
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“The reality is that they came into it on the back of five or six poor results and were looking for some hope and we gave it to them.
“There was a clear message at half-time to do the basics better which is intensity for us.
“We’ve had a lot of success this season by being front footed, intense, playing at a tempo and using our physicality at the top end of the pitch.
“We didn’t do any of that in the first half and I think everyone walking in at half-time knew exactly what the message was going to be.
“We took it on board and I thought we were better in the second half but we didn’t score, we gave them hope and they got a set piece and scored.
Colchester United suffered late heartbreak at Holker Street as a Niall Canavan header five minutes from time earned Barrow all three points on the long trip north on Valentine’s Day.
Read how it all unfolded in our match report over on our website below.#ColU | #WeAreUnited— Colchester United FC (@ColU_Official) February 15, 2026
“I’ve been at the bottom of the league before in my career and a lot of what you’re trying to do is shorten the game against good teams and give yourself a chance, going into the last 10 to 15 minutes.
“The longer the game goes on, the more advantage there is for a lucky goal, set piece – I’m not saying their goal is lucky, absolutely not as it was a great set piece and we didn’t defend it well enough.
“But we allowed them to make it a last five or 10-minute game where anything can happen.
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“We knew if we played to our potential and played well for 90 minutes, we would win the game because we’d done so much hard work to get there but they shortened the game and that was the problem.
“Everybody takes responsibility and we don’t point fingers – we don’t believe in that.
“The boys know they’re better than that and we know at the back, we need to defend set pieces better and give the guys up front more ball opportunities, especially in the first half.”
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