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Colchester 0, Posh 1 - The Darragh dream lives on
THIS was better than sex, better than a big lottery win and even better than watching some frumpy old spinster singing on a 'talent' show.
THIS was better than sex, better than a big lottery win and even better than watching some frumpy old spinster singing on a 'talent' show.If successive promotions, Championship football and the prospect of watching a young, vibrant, fearless side ruffling some big feathers next season doesn't get your juices flowing, then you must be an MK Dons fan, or possibly even dead.
This Posh win and Dons' capitulation at home to Walsall clinched promotion from League One and prompted some seriously spectacular celebrations on and off the pitch.
Chairman Darragh MacAnthony, manager Darren Ferguson, the players, the backroom staff and even the club's boardroom host, joined forces in front of 1,800 ecstatic fans to hug, kiss and dance pretty badly.
And why not? To put the achievement into proper context, next season Posh could be in the same division as Newcastle, one above Leeds and just one behind Manchester United and a meeting with the other Ferguson.
Indeed the Posh 'Fergie' seemed quite relieved that his demanding chairman, a man who doesn't do failure any more than he does boardroom ties, has given him three years to reach the Premier League and appears to have forgiven him for failing to win any silverware for a second successive season.
Of course Championship football is just the latest production from Darragh's dream factory.
Posh promoted: full story, reaction and reports in words and pictures
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Darragh (like Madonna and Gandhi he only needs one name to be recognised) is a man with so much positive energy he could probably heal Andrew Flintoff or, if he really wanted to stretch himself, get a goal out of Michael Owen.
After all he's already delivered one footballing miracle by turning apathetic, cynical fans who wouldn't have looked out of place in Gordon Brown's cabinet of the living dead, into a proud and passionate bunch capable of inspirational support.
That was the case at Colchester's catchily titled Weston Homes Community Stadium, an improvement on Layer Road, but then moving to the Black Hole of Calcutta would also have been a step up.
The support was sensational and deservedly so as they have a team and manager in serious danger of becoming the greatest in the club's 75-year history.
Of course Darragh's financial input has been crucial, but money alone does not guarantee anything as anyone fooled into buying Emile Heskey in recent years would confirm.
The scouting has been top class and the coaching of a playing style easy on the eye and yet fused with a steely back-bone has been supremely successful.
Posh may have won many tight games, but few opponents could deny that they always try and play with freedom, flair and positive intent.
As for this game, Posh were quite breath-taking at times. Only Colchester goalkeeper Dean Gerken and 25-goal Posh striker Craig Mackail-Smith (lord only knows how many he would score if he could finish) can explain why such total superiority wasn't reflected in the one-goal winning margin.
Gerken was beaten just once when Charlie Lee, a rather adventurous left-back, popped up unmarked on the edge of the area to accept George Boyd's square pass five minutes before the break. One stride and one mighty thump of his left foot and Posh were finally ahead.
Lee had announced his intentions in the second minute with a 50-yard burst into the area past four defenders before seeing a shot smothered by Gerken,
The keeper immediately thwarted Mackail-Smith who had raced clear on to Aaron Mclean's pass and after the break he produced outstanding stops to keep out a Mackail-Smith header and a raking drive from Chris Whelpdale.
It was probably no co-incidence that the fluency of the Posh performance improved alongside Boyd's return to his dazzling best.
One left-wing run which left three Colchester defenders on their backsides was worth the admission fee alone – one other dribble and cross just eluded Mackail-Smith as Posh continued to run amok until the final whistle.
It helped that Colchester were dreadful. They were weakened so much by injury they fielded only four subs, while former Posh striker Clive Platt delivered a display so inert it suggested he'd been watching Dimitar Berbatov DVDs.
The excellent Gaby Zakuani and Craig Morgan were largely untroubled and only when Mark Yeates whistled a 25-yard strike over the crossbar in the 94th minute were Posh concerned about an equaliser.
By then news had filtered through (prematurely as it happened) that MK Dons had lost and glorious celebrations, an annual event these days, could begin.
Match facts and the ratings on next pageMatch facts
COLCHESTER 0
POSH 1
Lee (40 mins).
REFEREE: Stuart Attwell 6.
ATTENDANCE: 6,532 (1,800 Posh).
COLCHESTER RATINGS
Dean Gerken: 8
John White: 5
Matt Lockwood: 5
Chris Coyne: 6
Pat Baldwin: 5
Kem Izzet: 6
Marc Tierney: 6
Simon Hackney: 5
Mark Yeates: 6
Clive Platt: 5
Ashley Vincent: 6
Anthony Wordsworth: (for Hackney, 70 mins).
Matt Heath: (for Vincent, 77 mins).
Mark Cousins: (not used).
Sam Corcoran: (not used).
YELLOW CARDS:
Colchester – Gerken (foul), Tierney (unsportsmanlike conduct), Platt (foul). Posh – Whelpdale (unsportsmanlike conduct).
The ratings
Joe Lewis 6
Didn't have to make a single save, looked alert though.
Russell Martin 7
Back to his early-season form, bright and busy.
Charlie Lee 8
Exceptional again, great defending, quality goal, a star of the season.
Gaby Zakuani 8
Commanding, a terrific physical presence at the back.
Craig Morgan 8
Looked rusty occasionally, but this is a rock-solid centre-back pairing.
Paul Coutts 7
He's a class act in possession and he's becoming stronger in the tackle.
Chris Whelpdale 7
Bustling display and a threat all afternoon down the right.
Dean Keates 7
Limped off, but not before helping string together some fine passing moves.
George Boyd 9 (Star man)
Brilliant at times and surely certain to thrive in the Championship.
Aaron Mclean 7
Outplayed his markers, the sharpshooter is now an excellent team-man.
Craig Mackail-Smith 7
Ran his heart out as usual, missed chances but no-one cared this time.
Substitutes
Lee Frecklington: (for Keates, 61 mins).
Shaun Batt: (for Mclean, 90 mins).
Dominic Green: (not used).
Chris Westwood: (not used).
James McKeown: (not used).
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