Colchester United now look destined for a third successive season of League Two football.

And when John McGreal looks back on his side’s overall showing come the end of the campaign, he might well identify his side’s modest goal count as one of the main reasons behind their failure to clinch a play-off spot.

“When opportunity knocks, you have to take it,” mused the U’s head coach after seeing another game get away from his side when the end result against Notts County last weekend might – and perhaps should – have been more favourable.

The fact that Colchester have scored fewer goals than any of the teams currently residing in the top ten of the League Two table is a big reason why they are six points adrift of the top-seven places, with just three games remaining.

Indeed, only two Colchester players – Sammie Szmodics and Mikael Mandron – have managed to reach double figures for them so far, this season.

Quite simply, the U’s have not been good enough in front of goal.

That is frustrating, not only because they have shown on a week-by-week basis that they are capable of creating so much in matches but also because they have demonstrated that they have generally had a sound defensive platform from which to build from.

McGreal is understandably proud of his playing philosophy; the U’s have undoubtedly played some eye-catching, flowing football during his reign.

Drey Wright’s fine well-worked goal against Notts County was a case in point and some of their attacking play in the first half of that game was a joy to watch.

But as has been the case on plenty of occasions this season, the U’s were unable to replicate that display after half-time.

There were perhaps extenuating circumstances against the Magpies; referee Brendan Malone’s failure to dismiss Shola Ameobi for an apparent elbow on Luke Prosser and Tom Eastman’s header coming back off the post were incidents that played their part in Colchester’s downfall.

But the U’s ultimately failed to cash in on their first-half dominance, where opportunities came and went.

As McGreal suggested after the Notts County defence, some attacking experience is required and they have undoubtedly missed the goals of former Chris Porter, since his switch to Crewe Alexandra last summer.

It would certainly be no big surprise if Colchester made signing another seasoned forward their top priority in the transfer window, this summer.