COLCHESTER United interim head coach Hayden Mullins admits focus will be key for his players as they prepare for their biggest derby match in years.

The U’s host Southend United tonight in a crucial Essex derby, with both sides striving for a victory to help boost their League Two survival hopes.

Colchester head into the game against their county neighbours sitting six points above the relegation zone – and their visitors Southend – with four matches remaining.

The U’s were boosted by their 2-1 win over Walsall at the weekend and boss Mullins wants them to take the confidence gained from that game into tonight’s clash, at the JobServe Community Stadium (kick-off 7pm).

Mullins said: “I’m sure it’ll be built up but what we speak about in the dressing room and how we want to keep it and the messages that we want to give the boys, we’ll keep them focused on what we need to do – that’s the main thing.

“It’s a performance and a result against Walsall that we’ll have to roll into Tuesday.

“We’ve got to take the confidence into Tuesday and build on this and we will do.

“We’ll refocus and get them ready to go.

“We just try and focus the players.

“It’s been tough over recent weeks when results don’t go for you.

“We started off with two draws and the Bolton draw was a very good result, I thought.

“With conceding a late equaliser against Barrow, you’ve got to remember how that might feel in the dressing room and then the Oldham game.

“We spoke about being a group and helping each other through it, forget the outside talk as it were and try and pull each other through on the pitch.

“I think they showed that (against Walsall) and that was one of the highlights, on the day.”

Mike Folivi is hoping to keep his place tonight after being recalled to his starting line-up for the Walsall game, last weekend.

The former Watford youngster marked his first start for nearly six weeks with a crucial goal, his first for the U’s since last December.

Folivi impressed alongside Frank Nouble in attack and boss Mullins was delighted with his performance.

Mullins said: “Mike is a goalscorer – he wants to score goals and he’s a threat.

“He wants to be in and around the box which I knew so when we decided that we were going to go with two up top, it was a natural option.

“I think he’s a player who’s built on scoring goals and when we get him in, we know he’s going to be a threat in and around the box and thankfully, he scored.

“We looked a threat on the counter attack – Mike looked a threat coming inside off the left-hand channel and Noubs (Frank Nouble) gives you everything and has been massive for us.

“Noah was another one who had a very good game and I think we looked a threat.

“Even at times when we had to ride out spells and defend, we were still creating chances.”