COLCHESTER United round off their League Two campaign at Cheltenham Town today.
And U's boss Danny Cowley wants his side to 'fight for every point' ahead of the clash at Whaddon Road.
With one League Two game remaining, the U’s still have a chance of securing a top-half finish, and Cowley is determined to ensure his side end the season on a high.
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“You look at the results last Saturday, in League One and League Two and the teams in the middle, probably barring Bristol Rovers there weren’t too many positive results,” he said.
“I think you’re always looking to try to frame the game in a good way to motivate the players and for Nicky and I, we’ll fight for every point because that’s just how we work.
“It’s not always what we want; it’s what the players want and feel.”
Colchester head into the clash at Cheltenham knowing a win, combined with favourable results elsewhere, could lift them as high as 10th – a target Cowley believes would represent significant progress amid uncertainty off the pitch.
“Our ambition as a group this week - and the focus in the work that we’ve done up to this point - has been around trying to finish the season with a really strong performance and a positive result,” he said.
“There’s the opportunity if results go our way to finish 10th, which I think for this club and the position it’s in having lived with a potential takeover happening would show real stability and give us a really good platform, to push on from.”
Standing in their way are a Cheltenham side managed by the experienced Steve Cotterill, who has drawn praise from Cowley for the job he has done this season.
“I think he’s done a brilliant job there,” Cowley added.
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“Steve is a very, very experienced football manager.
“He’s tactically very intelligent, pragmatic, always adapts his game idea to the players he has available.
“I’ve seen him in previous years play much quicker and much more direct.
“With this group, he really tries to gain control and dominate the ball.
“They’ve done so well in the last two thirds of the season.
“Whenever you’re looking at coaches’ and managers’ performance, you’re looking at the value that they add and he’s one of the best coaches and managers in League Two, this season.”
Colchester secured an important 1-0 victory in a feisty encounter at Cheltenham last season – an outcome Cowley is keen to repeat.
“It was a really good win there last time out, at a very important time in our season,” he said.
“We were on a really good run.
“It’s a game that we want to win and we want to finish strong and put a good performance together.”
