Karl Robinson says he is “incredibly proud” of his Salford players after they thrashed Colchester 4-1 to move into the League Two play-off places with one game left.
Hakeeb Adelakun’s penalty brace and further goals from Liam Shephard and Cole Stockton sealed the Ammies’ victory.
Salford boss Robinson said: “It was pleasing.
“I think the beauty about today was that it’s given Salford Football Club hope.
“Twelve months ago, we were a team on the brink of going out of this league and in a different direction and I think the players have really done everything we’ve asked of them and given me everything week in, week out.
“I’m incredibly proud of them.
“I’ll tell you something, I’ve never been so nervous with nine minutes to go!
“I don’t know why – you’re never, ever happy until you know there’s a minute to go with a decent sort of deficit.
“That’s when you can get excited.
“I’m made up for the players and I’m made up for the fans as well.
“I think when you’re on the brink of something good, you have to be calm.
“The players feed off that and it’s massive game next week now at Carlisle.”
Salford took a second-minute lead when Fiacre Kelleher fouled Ben Woodburn in the area and Adelakun converted the penalty.
It was 2-0 in the 21st minute when Shephard collected Woodburn’s pass and scored before Stockton turned on the edge of the area and netted in the 24th minute, after Ossama Ashley had helped on Haji Mnoga’s throw.
Salford added a fourth in the 56th minute when Adelakun netted another penalty, after Ellis Iandolo had fouled Shephard in the box.
Colchester grabbed a 66th-minute consolation through Iandolo’s left-foot strike after Kelleher had helped on a corner but they are now two points off the play-off spots.
Colchester boss Danny Cowley said: “It’s the hope that kills you isn’t it?
“We’ve given everyone a lot of hope and I think we’ll be regretful today.
“It’s a horrible emotion regret but we will all leave this stadium this evening with exactly that feeling.
“I think their first goal was the quickest that one of my teams has ever conceded a goal and it’s not like we didn’t know what was coming.
“For the first 20 minutes, we didn’t make a tackle or a pass, that’s the truth.
“We’ve lost a lot of good men, that’s the truth and it’s not just the men that are not here, it’s also the men who were playing who weren’t fit.
“We knew what the game was, we needed to take some gambles but it was hard for some of the boys just coming back from fitness to come into a game of this magnitude and intensity.”
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