CMS SPECIAL: Proud milestone moment is a weight off a legend's mind

The 33 year-old broke the 99-goal barrier, after waiting 12 matches spread over almost six years, in the final stages of Saturday’s (March 11) 2-1 League One home defeat at the hands of Oxford and followed it up with two more goals in the 3-3 draw at Chesterfield last night (March 14).

His joy last night was tempered by an incorrect offside decision which ruled a late hat-trick goal and a probable three points.

“I felt at the time I was onside and the video backed that up,” Mackail-Smith stated. “It’s so frustrating for the team more than me because we needed the three points.

“But it’s done now and we need to focus on beating Oldham on Saturday (March 18). If we can play as well going forward, take more of our chances and tighten up at the back, we will have a great chance.

“It was a weight off mind to reach 100 goals. It was a strange way to get there as I was just passing the ball to Junior, but maybe I needed something like that to finally get there.

“It was a proud personal moment, but I want to win every game so that was a disappointment.”

Mackail-Smith is the third player to score 100 goals for Posh in the club’s Football League era after Jim Hall and Tommy Robson. He achieved it in his 224th appearance for the club

Hall, the club’s record scorer with 137 goals in 334 appearances, scored his 100th Posh goal in his 219th game in a 2-0 win over Bury in 1972.

Robson, who scored 128 goals in a Posh record 559 appearances, bagged his 100th goal for the club in his 409th game, a 1-0 win over Oxford in 1977.

If you include Posh’s pre-Football League era games the incomparable Denis Emery scored a massive 231 goals for the club. Freddie Martin (135), Peter McNamee (127) Ray Smith (116), Billy Hails (114) and Andy Donaldson (107) all reached 100 goals, including some before Posh were elected to Division Four of the Football League in 1960.

Mackail-Smith finished top Posh scorer in four of his first five seasons at the club.

CMS FACTFILE

APPEARANCES:

League: 198 (inc 15 sub)

FA Cup: 14 (inc 1 sub)

League Cup: 7

Others (inc play-offs): 6 (inc 1 sub)

TOTAL 225 (inc 17 sub)

GOALS:

League: 83

FA Cup: 12

League Cup: 4

Others (inc play-offs): 3

TOTAL 102

Posh debut: Feb 10, 2007 v Wrexham (h), League Two.

First Posh goal: Feb 24, 2007 v Bury (a), League Two.

Four-goal games: (1) Dec 1, 2007 v Staines (a) FA Cup.

Hat-tricks: (2) Sep 6, 2008 v Bristol Rovers (h) League One & Nov 10, 2007 v Wrexham (FA Cup).

Two-goal games: 19.

Best scoring run: 5 games (6 goals) Mar 31 2007-Apr 21 2007.

Best goals:

1 Stunning volley in 5-0 win at Oldham in February 2011.

2 Mazy dribble on his way to a hat-trick in front of live TV cameras against Bristol Rovers in September 2008.

3 Great chase of a lost cause and excellent finish in front of live TV cameras in a 4-4 draw with Southampton in League One in February, 2011. Typical Mackail-Smith.

Most important goal: Second goal in 2-0 win over MK Dons in League One play-off semi-final in May, 2011. It put Posh 4-3 up on aggregate.