Colchester United boss Danny Cowley on EFL survival

The U’s clinched their League Two status following a 1-1 home draw with Crewe Alexandra, on the final day of the season.

U’s boss Danny and his brother Nicky Cowley took charge at the JobServe Community Stadium at the start of the year and inherited a struggling side who had lost eight of their previous nine matches and were languishing just above the relegation zone.

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They also took over a squad which has just lost top scorer Joe Taylor and with injuries and suspensions also taking their toll, it has been a difficult challenge for the Cowleys to get the U’s over the line.

Cowley said: “It’s been a tough journey.

“I’ve had quite a few gigs now, about 800 games but I reckon this is well up there with the toughest one, with just the amount that has gone against us I think.

“When we came in, we knew we were losing Joe Taylor, we thought we had some boys like Samson (Tovide) and Kells (Fiacre Kelleher) who could come back a bit earlier and they haven’t for one reason or another, or they did and they get sent off.

“We lost a lot of the group along the way and that’s made it really, really tough.

“It’s felt really hard but sometimes, the toughest struggles can actually create some of the greatest moments in your life.

“I think for our young players in particular, there was loads of learning from that.

“I think because we’ve had to live this really difficult period, they will have built a lot of resilience and a lot of determination and a lot of grit that will hold them in really good stead for the future.”

A crowd of nearly 6,500 were at the JobServe Community to see Colchester clinch their Football League status against Crewe.

Cowley was still chatting to supporters more than an hour and a half after the final whistle following the 1-1 draw and the U’s boss says he will be striving to give the fans something to cheer about, next season.

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“Whenever you come to a football club, you have to remember that the supporters, it’s their club,” added Cowley.

“They’re the most important people in the building – fact.

“You have to do everything you can to build relationships with them, hopefully show them how much you care and when they know that you really care and they can see, then you hope that they come with you.

“You can’t do it on your own – you need them.

“You need their energy, their enthusiasm and their passion.

“We can have lots more days like this, lots more fun days at the top of the division and trying to achieve something and not just feeling a relief at the final whistle.

“You can have a celebration and celebrate being successful and that is all I see for this football club.”