TOMMY Smith insists Colchester United are striving to be even higher in the League Two table after rising into the play-off places.

The U’s lie in seventh spot after picking up four wins in their last five league games.

They could potentially move into the automatic promotion places with a win at Mansfield Town, on Friday night.

Smith has played his part in Colchester’s solid start to the campaign, after arriving on a free transfer in the summer.

And the experienced defender says the U’s have set their sights on the same goal this season – promotion.

Smith said: “We’re in the play-off positions and that’s where we want to be.

“We also have a game in hand, so if we win that we can go even higher.

“I came here to win promotion and that’s got to be the goal.

“We’ve started quite well and our home form has been really impressive.

“We just need to kick on now and if we win our game in hand, we go even higher in the table.

“I’m enjoying it and I don’t want to be a League Two footballer for very long, so hopefully we can get promoted this season.

“If you look at the facilities here and the training ground, it’s definitely up there with the very best among League Two clubs.

“Everything is there for us to be a League One club and the goal is to go beyond that but we’ll take it one step at a time.”

Colchester have bounced back well from their shock FA Cup defeat against non-league Marine, beating Leyton Orient in the league after thrashing Southend United 6-1, in the Papa John’s Trophy.

Steve Ball’s have provided the perfect response to the U’s first-round defeat, something that defender Smith has described as a ‘wake-up call’.

“Everyone held their hands up and said it wasn’t good enough,” said the former Ipswich Town defender.

“We probably underestimated them, maybe not consciously but it’s always the case when you come up against a lower team like Marine.

“If you don’t apply yourselves properly, you get found out.

“Full credit to them – they came and had a game plan and stuck to it.

“But it was probably a bit of a wake up call for us, because it showed us where our standards need to be.”