David Wetherall today branded City's up-and-down campaign "immensely frustrating".

The skipper is the only ever-present this season and will extend that record at home to Port Vale tomorrow.

But Wetherall admits the run-in is tinged with disappointment because City have not come up to scratch.

He said: "We set out this season to try and get in the play-offs and that's obviously not going to happen. The biggest disappointment is that from last season where we were in with a shout of the top six until the last five or six games, this time we've had a chance of getting relegated up to then.

"It's been immensely frustrating from a personal point of view. I'm not writing myself off but at 35 I've not got endless seasons left.

"I'm not hanging up my boots for a long time yet but seasons are ticking by. I want to get back in the Championship with this club before I finish playing and it's another season gone by."

Wetherall is one of the most respected and level-headed members of the City dressing room and his frustration will be echoed by his team-mates - particularly when they look at the compact League One table.

Only 26 points separate Colchester, in the second automatic spot, from the bottom four which underlines how tight the competition has been.

Wetherall added: "It's a very even league with not much in it from top to bottom. No disrespect to Southend, who have done very well and deserve to be top, but there aren't two outstanding teams running away with it like there was last year with Luton and Hull."

"That's what is so frustrating because it's a year when a real opportunity was there.

"But there is no point now in dealing in ifs, buts and maybes. We can't change what has gone on and it's a case of looking forward and make sure we have a right good go next time.

"We don't know what the situation will be with new investment. But hopefully there's more money than people thought a couple of months ago for the squad next season."