Dickov plots smooth ride

ATHLETIC manager Paul Dickov is hoping for a smooth journey back from Colchester tomorrow night — with three points under the team’s belt.

Dickov is expecting a more attractive contest than usual against the Us.

"It's a long way to go and a long way back if you lose — and it's always a lot better if you win," said Athletic's boss, who travelled with the squad to Essex this morning.

"We take the confidence from Saturday (against Doncaster) and from winning three of our last four games as well.

"Joe has taken over and changed the way they play. He is installing his style of play, slowly but surely."

Colchester is traditionally an unhappy hunting ground for Athletic. A 4-1 defeat early last season was a seventh straight loss against the home side. Latics last beat Colchester away in 2002.

Dickov added: "We took a bit of a thumping last year, which wasn't nice. I can't stress enough how much we need to take our recent good performances and maintain a level of consistency."