Danny Cowley: Colchester victory ideal start to 'important two weeks'

Colchester United head coach Danny Cowley — Danny Cowley has previously managed Lincoln City, Huddersfield Town and Portsmouth

Colchester boss Danny Cowley has called for "another huge effort" from his team following a vital 3-2 win at Crawley.

Tom Hopper scored twice as the U's moved out of the relegation places with four games remaining this season.

It was only their third League Two victory in 16 matches since Cowley was appointed in early January.

They are at home to Grimsby on Tuesday and he told BBC Essex Sport: "It's another really important game in the history of this football club."

Cowley continued: "This is a really important two weeks to us, I'm not over-exaggerating it at all.

"You get relegated out of the Football League, that lives with you every single day for the rest of your lives."

Colchester are only one point clear of next-to-bottom Sutton United, but have two games in hand.

They therefore need a maximum of six points from their four remaining matches, three of which are at home, to avoid dropping into the National League.

League Two table

Cowley hailed the "absolutely selfless" performance of Hopper against Crawley - the forward's double following only one goal in his 36 previous appearances this season.

"It should have been a hat-trick and there wouldn't have been a more deserving player to score a hat-trick," the U's head coach said.

"He works so hard on his game, not just technically, tactically, but also physically and mentally. Since the moment we came in he's been brilliant on the pitch, he's been brilliant off the pitch.

"He's our first defender. We like to get early pressure on the ball [when the opposition have it] and that means the [number] nines have to really run hard."

Cowley added: "The second one was a really good goal because he had a lot of time to think but he showed the composure, he delayed, took a moment, opened the goal up and slid it in."