Striker Charlie MacDonald says it is time Brentford got results against League One minnows to keep talk of relegation at bay.

The pint-sized 28-year-old headed home John Bostock’s cross from close range to secure a surprise 1-0 win over high-flying Colchester United at Griffin Park on Tuesday.

The performance came in stark contrast to last week’s mid-week defeat by the same score at struggling Wycombe Wanderers and was reminicent of a battling 2-1 over Norwich City earlier in the campaign.

Boss Andy Scott’s men, who claime a 1-0 FA Cup triumph over Walsall on Saturday, have a decent record against the division’s front-runners this season, with Leeds United looming large on the horizon.

But they have struggled against the likes of Leyton Orient and Exeter City - particularly on the road - and MacDonald has called for an immediate turnaround ahead of Saturday’s trip to Tranmere Rovers.

“Apart from the Wycombe game, we are on a decent run of results and we have to be confident,” he said.

“It is teams like Tranmere that we have to put to bed if we are to move up this league.

“We’ve got a tough December, but all the games are tough. We’ve got Leeds coming up, but Kettering have shown you can create chances if you put them under pressure.

“The boys don’t need any motivating against the so-called big teams. It is the lesser teams we tend to struggle with.

“We need to take these last couple of performances away from home with us and be resilient.”

MacDonald, whose wife gave birth to a baby daughter last week, claimed his sixth goal of the campaign since returning from a serious shoulder injury.

And he thanked Bostock for putting it on a plate to allow him to celebrate his new arrival.

“Six goals in 15 games is not too bad considering I’ve been out for five months,” he added.

“I’ve had no problems with it - touch wood. Hopefully I can continue to put a few chances away and keep my place.

“It was a great ball by Bossie. I just had to put my head on it and I knew it would be a goal.”

Brentford’s next three games: Dec 5 Tranmere Rovers (a), 12 Leeds United (h), 19 MK Dons (a).