Colchester United picked up their biggest league win in nearly two years on Friday afternoon, as they came from behind to beat Doncaster Rovers 4-1.
The U’s climbed off the bottom with their big win and pulled their opponents deeper into trouble as the games begin to run out.
Rovers had come to the Weston Homes Community Stadium having not won since January, but got their noses in front midway through the first half.
Gary McSheffrey, signed from Scunthorpe United in the week, looked like he might be offside, but was allowed to go through and convert past Elliott Parish.
The goal came just after the U’s had begun to build up some first half momentum and it knocked Kevin Keen’s side out of their stride, with the remainder of the first half a comfortable affair for a Rovers side eager to take that advantage into the half time interval.
At that stage, few could have predicted what would follow – but it saw one of the best 45 minutes for quite some time from a Colchester side.
They were on the front foot as soon as the second half got underway, with Gavin Massey terrorising Cedric Evina at left back.
They saw an effort from Elliot Lee cleared off the line from Andy Butler and another blocked at close range and it looked like their moment might have passed as Rovers began to settle into the second half.
But the best was yet to come.
Massey again beat Evina down the U’s right, and picked out Chris Porter in a central position for the U’s skipper to sidefoot home the equaliser.
Now the home side’s tails were up and, in the space of two scintillating second half minutes, the U’s grabbed firm control of the match.
First Lee made space for himself to curl home a wondrous goal just as he had against Wigan last time out at home, before Alex Gilbey joined him on the scoresheet for the second home game running.
The young duo are beginning to create their own goal of the season contest and the homegrown midfielder let fly with a sensational effort that flew into the top corner to make it 3-1.
The stands were full of vocal supporters and the U’s were not going to rest on their laurels, with recent games against Wigan and Walsall in mind.
Richard Brindley was introduced from the bench and took up an unorthodox right wing position, but it proved to be a masterstroke from Kevin Keen.
Brindley darted into the box as he allowed Moncur to drive down the right hand flank and he was on hand to sidefoot home to secure the win for the U’s.
Off the bottom, a first home win in a while under their belts and smiling faces all round on a very Good Friday for Col U.