by Paul Williams

So no goals scored in four of our last six games. Add that to a defence that would give the Chuckle Brothers a run for their money in terms of comedy appeal and it’s easy to see why Darren Ferguson has decided he’ll have to enter the loan market sooner rather than later.

That said, after a frankly disgraceful opening half-hour, Rovers were actually as good if not better than Millwall at the New Den on Tuesday night with a particularly encouraging performance from Harry Middleton, reveling in a new role. But back-to-back defeats after that unexpected win at Shrewsbury means that this Saturday’s home game against perennial strugglers Colchester has taken on greater significance.

The U’s are actually in decent form at present. They scored four against high-flying Walsall last weekend only to let in the same amount - it’s that defensive fragility which gives hope of a rare three points for Rovers.

Colchester have conceded more goals than anyone else in League 1 – 32 in 15 matches. But they’ve also scored more than any other team in the bottom half of the table, which is why they currently have six more points than Rovers.

We’ve won our last four against Colchester and not lost at home to the Essex side since that infamous game at Belle Vue in 1998 which saw us slip out of the Football League amid tears and recrimination. A lot has changed for the better since then and, with plenty still to play for this season, let’s get behind the team and put this minor hiccup into context.