From the Stadium of Light with its high profile facilities to the modest and humble surroundings of Colchester United's Layer Road.

The difference is about as stark as it gets in the Championship and the comparatively ramshackle venue for City's next assignment tomorrow will spell out a message that a good old fashioned battle looms as soon as the City team bus pulls up.

The capacity is a piffling 6,500 and the changing rooms are barely big enough for a whole starting line-up and substitutes to sit down at the same time.

Yet having beaten Sunderland on their own patch, the natural assumption is that a smaller club like Colchester will be easy pickings for the table-topping Bluebirds.

But that would be to ignore the statistics.

The side managed by Welshman Geraint Williams have won their last five matches at their modest home, sending more fancied sides packing with their brand of up and at 'em football.

And Terry Burton, Dave Jones' right-hand man is all too aware that City must be at the races from the first whistle or they will suffer the consequences.

'It's going to be a real test for us because it's quite easy to go to places like Sunderland and want to play football,' explained Burton.

'Up there the changing rooms are big, the pitch is superb and it's just a fantastic stadium.

'But somewhere like Layer Road could not be more different.'

Which is why the former Watford coach says the mental approach must be spot on from the Bluebirds.

'The boys must show that they are up for it just as much as they were for the Sunderland game,' he added.

'We know that Colchester are a decent side and even better at home, and clubs certainly don't like going there.

'Teams go there and the surroundings do affect them.

'They shouldn't, but they do, and some teams have found it difficult to get up for the game.

'That is why we must make sure that every player is up for it and 100 per cent ready.'

If performing at a less attractive venue is so unappealing for opposition teams some fans may argue City should stay at Ninian Park.

And John Pakey, the local reporter of the Colchester Evening Gazette says City really do have to be on their guard tomorrow.

'Colchester really do come out of the traps with all guns blazing in the first 20 minutes and have a right old go with a direct approach that seems to unsettle the bigger clubs,' he warned.

'They know that certain clubs don't like coming here and to be fair they play on it and make it as uncomfortable as they can and before you know it you're 1-0 down against a side that are hard to break down.'

And it's just that issue which concerns Burton.

'I would be really surprised if, come Saturday night, the result is down to us not being fired-up for the game. That's because we have great professionals in our changing room who know what it's all about.'

On-loan Bluebird Chris Barker is sidelined because that was part of the agreement that saw him go there from Ninian Park.

And City will be without the unsung hero of the past few weeks Steve Thompson, who will be out for up to three weeks with injury, Kevin Campbell deputising.