With Colchester United Supporters' Association chairman Jon Burns

THE fate of the U’s season is no longer in their own hands.

It is being juggled, once again, with forces outside our control and, with just ten games left to play, someone really needs to stop throwing it up in the air and start grabbing it firmly with both mitts.

Otherwise, the play-offs will drift off into the sunset.

Losing to Cheltenham was another painful setback and so tough to take after such a resilient display at Salford.

Fair dues, they were a decent team, with few flaws on show, and they were very football savvy.

They were not unbeatable, by any stretch of the imagination, though, so why did we come up short?

Was it that we changed the front two to a front one again?

Luke Norris was nursing an ankle so maybe that was the reason why.

Was it that the substitutions maybe came too late to change the game?

Was it that poor Luke Gambin seems to be persona non grata these days?

As good as they were, the U’s should have extracted at least a point from the game.

It’s the pressure end of the season and I still really believe the squad has a great blend of experience, youth and ability to cope with it.

However, now they have to do the hard graft again and try to come back from Carlisle with a win.

I have watched Cheltenham’s first goal a few times now.

Their player bent his run really well and the offside line looks very marginal.

It was one of those decisions that could have gone either way, but I'm still glad we have no VAR to play with.

Unfortunately, the very poor decision to chop one of their players on the edge of our area gift-wrapped their second goal and the points.

Decisions, decisions.

Some are good ones and some are bad ones.

Getting up for a 6am coach tomorrow morning seems like a good one to me.

I don’t make all of the away trips at the moment, but I’ll always do Carlisle.

Hopefully we’ll have time for at least ten minutes at the best motorway services in the country and also have time to visit the rugger club next door for a pre-match ale.

Let’s all hope that the day is only enhanced by memories of taking Carlisle apart and then eulogising about the three points during the long journey home.

Good luck U’s and, as always, a safe journey to all heading to Cumbria this weekend.