Colchester United

And Bonne wrote his name into the U's history books by scoring on his home debut and powering home a header to send the South Stand into delirium.

It was an exciting chance filled first half, but the game exploded into life in the second half as Lee Tomlin saw red and the game really opened up.

It was the perfect eighteenth birthday for young striker Macauley Bonne as he came off the bench to score the winner against high flying Peterborough United.The U’s made three changes to the side, partly influenced by the ongoing injury situation at the club. Jeffrey Monakana, Cian Bolger and Craig Eastmond all came into the starting eleven for the game against the Posh.

The home side started the game the brighter, but Posh had the first glimpse of goal as Bostwick flashed a header wide from a corner that was hotly disputed by the U’s players and watching South Stand.

The U’s responded in kind when Lee robbed McCann of the ball, darted towards goal before lifting his effort well over. 

And he was putting in a livewire performance that was inspiring others to put in the same workrate.

Monakana set up Morrison to slide in Eastmond, who on his weaker left foot set himself and fired in a low shot that Olejnik turned away from goal.

Okuonghae then embarked on a run of his own, winning the ball in midfield before venturing fifty yards up the pitch to win a corner.

For Posh, Payne was the next to go close on 28 minutes, as he was slid in on goal, but lifted his effort from just inside the box over the bar when he had the whole of the goal to aim at.

The U’s had a series of corners that the Posh saw away, before the best chance of the half fell to Rowe. He wriggled his way to bear down on Walker, who pulled off a superb point blank save.

The ball fell to Nthle on the follow up and Okuonghae bravely blocked to see the shot away.

The U’s almost got their noses in front just before half time. A fine interchange between Morrison and Eastmond saw the ex-Arsenal man hit a looped shot that beat Olejnik but crash off the top of the bar.

The second half started with a chance each. First Lee’s persistence saw him get a shot in that Olejnik took comfortably, before Tomlin fired into the side netting.

But the game exploded into life eight minutes into the half. Tomlin and Eastmond tussled for the ball and it appeared that the Posh man clipped the U’s man round the back of the head and caught him with his foot as they separated.

He saw red, which the Posh contingent were not impressed by. 

Bolger was in the thick of it after that, first blocking a waving Assombalonga run as the striker went to shoot, before winning a header at the other end to force Olejnik into a save.

Rowe drew the ire of the referee as he went to ground in the box under pressure from Walker, getting a yellow card from Mr Attwell.

Bonne was introduced for Morrison on the hour mark and the game was proving to be a lively one as McCann also saw yellow for pulling back his man.

The U’s were looking up for it though, and Monakana drove over after working space on the edge of the box.

Bonne’s big moment arrived on 70 minutes. Garbutt got down the left for the umpteenth time and delivered a peach of a cross for the young striker to power home a header and send the South Stand into delirium.

Sammie Szmodics came on for Lee for the last fifteen minutes, and it was a breathless conclusion to the game as both sides went right at it.

The U’s could have wrapped it up as injury time was announced. Eastmond broke on the counter with Szmodics and Bonne either side of him. He opted for Szmodics, but he scuffed his shot and Olejnik collected.

Despite a late free kick, the U's saw out that time in a professional fashion, having learned his lessons from the Walsall game, to pick up a big three points.

The U’s had six minutes of injury time to contend with and the boundless running of the two youngsters was proving crucial at breaking up Posh’s play.