Colchester United boss Danny Cowley has hit out at the festive fixtures programme despite his side’s unbeaten run in their past four League Two games.
The U’s beat MK Dons with Jack Payne’s added-time penalty on New Year’s Day in their third match in seven days – and they will play again on Sunday.
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“It’s a crazy schedule, lot of tired bodies – it’s pretty dangerous for the players, their centre-half comes off with a hamstring [injury] and we had Teddy (Bishop) with a calf,” Cowley told BBC Essex.
“We do have to look at this. We put all these safeguarding polices in place for the safety of the players and then we play a ridiculous schedule in such a short space of time.
“In the first half of the season, we had a lot of Saturday to Saturdays, not many Tuesday nights. It’s one for the powers above but all we know is we have to keep turning up and keep trying to perform at our best.”
MK Dons counterpart Paul Warne backed Cowley’s view, telling BBC Three Counties Radio: “All the managers are saying the same thing, the schedule is just a joke.”
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And he was unhappy with the loss of injured Marvin Ekpiteta as well as the penalty decision which led to Colchester’s winner.
The physical demands on the players were compounded by a bouncy pitch at the Jobserve Community Stadium.
“We had problems with the irrigation before the game, the pipes had frozen so we couldn’t get water on the pitch, which makes it really difficult for the way we want to play,” said Cowley, who is approaching his second anniversary as head coach.
“It made it a really awkward game because our plan was to lure them out and try to hit them in the space they left.
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“The players had a strong mentality. They’re a group that when it gets tough, I can see the minerals in them.”
Colchester are now ninth, three points outside the play-off places, and four adrift of MK Dons, who are sixth despite their first defeat in five games.
“Eight points in the four games over Christmas thus far is a brilliant return for us – we have such a small squad,” added Cowley.
“We’re really up against it and it would be easy for us to be weak in the moment, but we were really focused and really determined.”
Warne said the game had “lacked everything you’d want to go and watch”.
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He added: “The pitch was dry as a bone so it [the ball] was just bouncing around everywhere and no team really put their foot on it.
“The penalty was a bit panto, there was loads of jumping around, as no doubt I would have if it was for my team. It was hugely disappointing to concede that late on and especially in that manner.”
