JOHN McGreal says there will be everything to play for when Colchester United travel to play fellow in-form side Exeter City, this weekend.

The U’s have embarked on a 14-match unbeaten run in League Two, their best sequence without a league defeat since the 1996-97 season.

However, second-placed Exeter have not been beaten in their last ten league games and boss McGreal says there will be plenty of incentive for both sides when the two promotion rivals meet at St James Park, on Saturday.

McGreal said: “The boys are on an unbelievable run.

“It’s 14 games now and at this level, it’s a brilliant run.

“I think Exeter are on a similar run a couple of games less than, so it’s all to play for on Saturday.

“Three points in this division is big and you do jump positions, whether you’re at the bottom or in the middle, or at the top.

“It’s three points up for grabs in quick succession; five games and one every three days that we’ve got.

“You just have to try and maximise it but you can’t get away from looking at it a game at a time.

“It’s a tough division and Macclesfield proved that (against Crewe).

“Morecambe recently beat Port Vale, who are challenging towards the play-offs.

“It’s a really tough league and you don’t get any points given – you have to work hard for them.

“It’s fine margins in this division from top to bottom.

“It’s a tight, tight league and bottom can beat top, on any given day.

“You only have to look at us against Stevenage and Morecambe, who in midweek did a number on Port Vale who were fancied to win that game.

“It’s a tough, tough league and you can’t take any team for granted – if you do, you’ll get beaten.”

Colchester are currently in the middle of a gruelling run of fixtures, where they are playing five games in 14 days, in League Two.

The U’s are also in action next Tuesday when they host Swindon Town, before then travelling to Cambridge United on Saturday week.

McGreal said: “It’s just coincidence that three or four weeks down the line from the festive period, you’re then hitting another chunk of games and then you finish at the end of April, which is barmy!

“I don’t understand it but there are more experienced managers than me up and down the division who have probably got the same thought process but you just have to get on with it.

“We feel as though we’ve got a good group to get through those games.”

Meanwhile, McGreal has revealed that it was a tactical decision to start with Brandon Comley ahead of Ben Stevenson in midfield against Bradford City, on Tuesday night.

Stevenson had started seven successive games for the U’s prior to dropping to the bench for the 0-0 draw with the Bantams.

“It’s how we want to approach the game and we want to keep that competitive edge,” added McGreal.

“It’s not a divine right to keep your position; it’s one where we’re trying to keep the dog with the bone in a way and see how far they can go with it and pass it on.

“Ben’s put in a brilliant shift with six, seven or eight games since he’s come in.

“Now, you just feel as though it’s the next one to come in to try and fill that void.

“I just felt that it was a bit different (against Bradford).

“We did fancy their shape how they turned up and I just felt Coms would be that extra security blanket in there and it did prove the point to be fair because I thought he filled holes and stuff brilliantly well.”