Peterbrough United gained promotion at Colchester United today with a 1-0 victory thanks to Charlie Lee's goal just before the break.

Congratulations Peterborough United. Their victory at the WHCS ensured their promotion to The Championship after Charlie Lee's first half strike. The Posh deserved their celebrations at the end of the match which had only remained close thanks to an impressive display from U's keeper Dean Gerken. Colchester have a long, long way to go match this.

There was a puzzled look to most U's fans faces after the teams were announced. There appeared to be no midfielder to partner Izzet, two left backs, and bizarrely, only four named substitutes. Lambert had named a 19 man squad on Friday but apparently Alan Maybury called off late but surely one of the youth team could have been promoted even if just for the experience alongside Sam Corcoran. For that matter, where was Wasiu and Gobern both named in the squad?

United knew that they'd have their work cut out against them with a Posh side that had scored goals for fun during the season, Craig Mackail-Smith led the way with 22 whilst former U's triallist Aaron McLean had 18 to his name despite missing a large chunk of the season with injury. Add to that the talented George Boyd on the right midfield and United were in for a tough time against a team that just needed a win to guarantee promotion to The Championship.

As the U's lined up for the kick off the exact nature of his team line-up was uncovered. Lockwood and White were the fullbacks with Coyne and Baldwin central. Kem Izzet skippered the side with Yeates and Hackney on the wings. Izzet was joined in a midfield holding role by Marc Tierney who was covering for the suspended Dean Hammond. Ashley Vincent and the returning Clive Platt were up front.

Colchester kicked towards a packed South Stand full of Posh fans hoping today would be the day to celebrate promotion. And it was the visitors who had the first sniff of goal as Charlie Lee was allowed to run unchallenged in to the U's penalty area but was denied by Dean Gerken who came out to narrow the angle.

A rare moment of U's excitement saw Vincent fire about four yards over the bar from distance, but given the paltry fare on offer in recent weeks, it was a near miss for U's fans. Yeates found the side netting from a narrow angle before he curled a free kick just wide from 25 yards.

Platt, back in the side after family issues over the past fortnight, then laid a lovely ball in to the path of Hackney to chase on to. The former Carlisle man took a couple of touches in to the box before dragging his shot just wide of Lewis in the Peterborough goal. At the other end, Gerken dived a long way to make sure that Whelpdale's scuffed effort wouldn't be creeping in to the net.

With five minutes to the break, Posh scored the vital goal they wanted. John White got sucked in to the central midfield and lost out in a challenge with Boyd. The former Stevenage man spotted the large gap and played a lovely weighted ball in to the path of Lee who fired past Gerken from just inside the box.

It was almost two a minute later. A long ball forward found Boyd, who had come from his own half and was therefore not offside, completely in the clear. Gerken again came to United's rescue with a save that saw the ball rebound of his chest for a corner. The U's keeper was then booked for a foul on McLean near the West Stand touchline but there didn't appear (or should I sound like) to be any contact.

Colchester then went in to the break with an unwanted record amidst their grasp. No United side had ever gone four consecutive home games in the league though they had one done so over a mid-season gap and in differing competition in 1988.

Yeates almost unpicked the Peterborough lock with a turn and curled shot from just inside the box but the ball rolled agonisingly wide. Ashley Vince did then score - but sadly his great shot was rightly ruled out for offside. Prior to that though Posh's Whelpdale had forced a fine save out of Dean Gerken to keep his side still in the game.

McLean's shot from inside the looked to have Gerken stretching but Coyne put out a leg to just divert the ball behind for a corner. White again lost out to Boyd in a dangerous area but thankfully Mackail-Smith just couldn't quite reach the cross which had goal written all over it.

Anthony Wordsworth then replaced the disappointing Simon Hackney midway through the half while seven minutes later cramp caused Ashley Vincent to leave the field. He was replaced by.....Matt Heath who astonishingly went up front to partner Clive Platt. The arms outstretched motion by the former Leeds man as he came could have been replicated by nearly three thousand U's fans as well. Why not give Sam Corcoran a go?

Gerken was called in to action again to deny Mackail-Smith's header after Lee's cross with the U's shot stopper getting a big strong hand to the ball to get it away from the danger area too. Comparisons with Gordon Banks were muttered but were quickly shot down by others!

Whelpdale was having a fine afternoon on the Posh right and again forced Gerken in to another decent save before Yeates fizzed a shot that just went over the bar. It was the closest United had come and, just minutes later, this wretched horrible home campaign was over. It is United's second worst season ever with a success rate of 37.50%. Only United's championship relegation season was worse (36.36%). Fourteen home defeats - and just 21 goals at home - is not good enough. Lambert has a mountain to climb and a team to overhaul if he is to improve for next season.

Shot of the Match: In the last minute of the match, Yeates fizzed a shot a matter of inches over the bar.
Save of the Match: Gerken had a few to choose from, Lewis none. I'll give it for the save to deny Mackail-Smith's header in the second half.
Moan of the Match: Why did it take over 30 minutes from when the game finished for cars to be allowed out of the car park? If police were worried about Posh fans on United Way, why did we not get shown around the drop-off section....common sense obviously not required to be either a steward or a policeman. I was also interested to see that if you are an away fan in the commercial seats then that's fine.....anywhere else and you get chucked out. One rule for poor, one rule for the rich.
Man of the Match: He was only run close by Kem Izzet who attempted to keep the midfield going on his own at times - not bring critical of Tierney but he did look like a fish out of water at times - but DEAN GERKEN kept United in with a chance of getting something out of the game.

Colchester: Gerken, White, Coyne, Baldwin, Lockwood, Yeates, Izzet, Tierney, Hackney (Wordsworth 70), Vincent (Heath 77),
Platt.
Subs Not Used: Cousins, Corcoran.

Booked: Gerken, Tierney, Platt.

Peterborough: Lewis, Martin, Morgan, Zakuani, Lee, Whelpdale, Keates (Frecklington 60), Coutts, Boyd, Mclean (Batt 90),
Mackail-Smith.
Subs Not Used: McKeown, Westwood, Green.

Booked: Whelpdale.

Goals: Lee 40.

Att: 6,532

Ref: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).

Photo: Action Images

Leeds United Polls