Colchester United's League Two survival to go to the wire

The U’s demoralising 4-1 home defeat to a rampant Doncaster Rovers on Tuesday night means it will all come down to the final day of the season, for League Two survival.

The good news is that Colchester are still in control of their own fate.

They remain three points above the relegation zone going into their last game at home to sixth-placed Crewe Alexandra, who could require a point to guarantee a play-off place depending on results elsewhere.

READ MORE: Colchester United player ratings after Doncaster defeat

Colchester also have a superior goal difference of four compared to rivals Sutton United who visit MK Dons, a team already safely in the play-offs and guaranteed a fourth-placed finish.

One way or another, there’s unlikely to be too many fingernails left among U’s fans, come Saturday evening.

The outcome of the U’s game against Doncaster was pretty disastrous, if truth be told.

Admittedly, Colchester lost to a side who are absolutely on fire at the moment, having racked up ten successive wins to surge into the play-off places.

Grant McCann’s side were clinical in front of goal but there’s no hiding from the fact that the U’s defeat was once again, in part, self-inflicted.

Much like in other home games this season against the likes of Accrington Stanley, Forest Green Rovers and more recently Wrexham and Stockport County, the U’s unforced errors opened the door for their grateful opponents to run right through.

Needless to say, a confident Doncaster side on their A game required no second invitation when presented with goalscoring opportunities on a plate.

There was once again a mental fragility within the Colchester side, who looked tried and laboured, particularly the second half.

Colchester’s game against Doncaster was their eighth in the space of 25 days but you won’t find Danny Cowley using tiredness as an excuse for a poor result and he was not going to start, on Tuesday night.

READ MORE: Danny Cowley reaction after U's slump to Doncaster defeat

Sadly, the U’s looked very much like a team that has spent the majority of this most disappointing of seasons struggling near the bottom of the table.

The manner of their capitulation in the closing stages which resulted in them conceding two further goals due to individual errors which could easily have been avoided.

There is no time for the U’s to dwell on those mistakes, though.

They must move on quickly to focus on Crewe on Saturday, in what is a pivotal game in their history.

It’s a well-used football cliché but Colchester’s players have to solely concentrate on themselves, this weekend.

They cannot allow themselves to be distracted by events at Stadium MK, as hard as it may be.

It’s time for them to give it one last push this season, in front of their own fans.

Much like Colchester’s final game of the 2014-15 season against Preston North End, their match against Crewe is very much like a cup final; how the U’s could do with a George Moncur moment, this weekend.

It is a big positive that Cowley’s side at least have their home fans to get behind them and help them get over the line – that can be crucial.

And the U’s are still in the more favourable position, of the two teams who are still battling relegation from the EFL.

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A point will do for Colchester but if they lost, Sutton must win and also require a five-goal turnaround, unless they score four more than the U’s.

If the U’s and Sutton are level on points at the end of both games, it will come down to goal difference, goals scored and then the head-to-head record between the two teams (who have played out two draws, this season).

If still level, it will come down to the number of wins overall, with Colchester staying up as they are ahead by two.

Of course, if Colchester avoid defeat against Crewe, then none of those eye-watering scenarios will come into play.

But history shows that there are absolutely no certainties, on the final day of the season.