Opposition view - Exeter City manager Matt Taylor

EXETER City boss Matt Taylor admits Colchester United will provide tough opposition when the two clubs do battle in the League Two play-offs.

The Grecians head to the JobServe Community Stadium tomorrow night for their semi-final first leg against the U's (5.15pm kick-off).

Taylor says Colchester boast some 'fantastic players', as the two clubs prepare to meet for a place in the Wembley play-off final.

And the former U's loanee is expecting another tough battle, over the two games.

Taylor told the Express and Echo: “It doesn’t get any tougher and it is reflected in their cup run. They had a fantastic Cup run where I think they beat Tottenham and then went away and ended up playing (Manchester) United.

“They have produced a lot of good young players and moved a lot of good young players on, so that is a good reflection of their set up.

"They are a club not too dissimilar to ourselves and on the back of that, you want it to be a proper footballing spectacle.

“We are fully aware that some of their players are fantastic players and in the 0-0 at home, we were quite fortunate to get away with a 0-0 and the 2-2 at their place ebbed and flowed."

Taylor admits he has no idea how his players will deal with playing behind closed doors, in their semi-final.

Both games will be played in near-empty stadiums and without supporters, due to social distancing rules and regulations in place because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Asked what he thinks it will be like, Taylor said: “I honestly don’t know. It is going to be strange. The pitch dimensions will be the same and the players on the pitch are not too far off what happened in the two league encounters but the atmosphere will feel totally different.

“That will be down to the players to see if it affects them. Hopefully it won’t affect them too much and they can concentrate.

"The prize is too big to get caught up in the external influences, but we will certainly miss our home backing and I am sure Colchester will say the same about their home backing.

“It’s an unknown environment and something we just have to take with the right mindset, be positive with it and whatever happens, we want to perform to a level that reflects well on us.”