KEVIN Lisbie has backed his old club Colchester United to go up next year even without his goals.After signing Steve Gillespie from Cheltenham Town and Annki-Sunday Wasui, Lisbie belies the U's have the goal fire to take them back to the Championship.

Derek Davis

KEVIN Lisbie has backed his old club Colchester United to go up next year even without his goals.

After signing Steve Gillespie from Cheltenham Town and Annki-Sunday Wasui, Lisbie belies the U's have the goal fire to take them back to the Championship.

Lisbie: “I think the U's will go straight back up. They have only really lost me and they have replaced me with goals.

“The only problem last season was defensively and Geraint Williams has strengthened it up.

“I will be looking at their results and pray they go up.”

Lisbie is not in the least surprised that Williams has named former Luton defender Chris Coyne as his new skipper.

He said: “I could have told you weeks ago it would be Chris. He is a leader on and off the pitch, added to that he is a good man too.”

One slight regret, and it is barely even that, for Lisbie is that he won't get to play in the new Cuckoo Farm stadium, after spending his season at Layer Road, and in a way he hopes he never does.

Ideally for him Town would go to the premier league and the U's back into the Championship and he doesn't even want to meet them in a cup competition.

Lisbie added: “In a way I would like to have played there but can't complain looking at Ipswich's stadium. I don't even want to play against Colchester again. I don't want to go there and have to try and perform. I like them too much.

And he added jokingly: “I don't want to have to go there and torment their defence.”