U’s In Brief – 23/02/09

Colchester fans must now realise that hope of promotion this season is extinguished after the weekend`s derby defeat to Southend.

That, after the week began with boss Paul Lambet, claiming a push was still possible at the start of last week. Click here to see his comments.

In the boot-room, on-loan Jimmy Walker told various sources that he wants to stay with the club long-term, saying: ‘I am just hoping they can sort it out and I can stay until the end of the season because I think we have started something really good here.’

Build-up to the weekend’s derby began with the news that Southend sold thier entire allocation, towards easily the stadium’s biggest-ever of attendance of 8,651 with four days remaining before the match.

The U’s also crashed out of the Essex Senior Cup, at the semi-final stage, losing 2-1 to Chelmsford City at the Melbourne Stadium. To read reaction on this from Vital Colchester, click here.

Ironically, the week ended as it had begun, with the manager refusing, in the East Anglian Daily Times, to give up homr of promotion this season.

“I’m not going to concede that the play-offs are beyond us. We will keep going for it until it is mathematically impossible,” he said.

“I know the fans will be hurting. I know how they feel,” he added.