Colchester United interim head coach Hayden Mullins was delighted for his players after they pulled themselves to the brink of League Two safety with a vital 2-0 win over Essex rivals Southend United tonight.

The U’s are nine points clear of the bottom two with games remaining, following an impressive win over the Shrimpers at the JobServe Community Stadium.

Goals from Michael Folivi and Harry Pell secured Colchester a fine win and left Southend, who had Jason Demetriou sent off for a bad foul on Pell, eight points from safety, with three games to play.

Mullins said: “It’s a fantastic feeling and a momentum that we want to keep going.

“It’s a really good atmosphere at the moment, from where we have been.

“There have been times when you leave this stadium this season really flat and down and it’s horrible and we’ve had some bad results and we’ve been on a really bad run.

“It’s great to go in there and see them all with a smile on their face – it’s a brilliant atmosphere and it’s one where now we’re coming off the back of two wins and a clean sheet in this one.

“It’s such a big thing, to lose your league status.

“It’s something we tried to keep away from the boys but also make them aware.

“It would have been so much better had the fans been here but to beat our local rivals and almost be safe is a pretty good feeling.”

Folivi gave Colchester a 30th minute lead, following up after Pell's shot had been spilled by Mark Oxley.

And Pell doubled the U's lead soon after with a fierce shot, after a corner had only been partially cleared.

Mullins said: "Mike is always on the move, in the box.

"It's the second goal he's scored like that, after the one he scored against Walsall, last Saturday.

"He ended up with a tap in and you don't care how they go in - it lifts us again and allows us to go on and get another goal.

"Harry has been a real driving force for us of late and he's played a real captain's role.

"He's big for us on the pitch; he's got a big voice and he's experienced in the middle of the park.

"He battles away really well and he's got good quality on the ball as well.

"I was really pleased for him to get the goal and it was a real captain's performance."

Southend were reduced to ten men when Demetriou received his marching orders for an awful challenge on skipper Pell.

Mullins added: "It was a bad challenge.

"I heard it and I heard the shin pad snap.

"If  it's in a different place and his leg his planted, it could have been a worse situation.

"There's no need for it and there's no place for it.

"There was an elbow in there on Harry as well which I think they've looked at and they're going to look at again, off the ball."