It had been 49 years since these two local rivals - they are separated by just 14 miles between the counties of Essex and Suffolk - had meet in a League fixture and it was some occasion: dancing girls, live television, an eight-page supplement in the evening newspaper no less and ultimately a tremendous Colchester United victory.

Four matches into their first season in the second tier of English football, Colchester were bottom of the table. This morning they are ninth, thanks to an early goal from their captain Karl Duguid, his first in the league in three years, and at no stage last night did they look like a side hanging on for a famous triumph.

"It was an amazing evening," said Geraint Williams, the Colchester manager. "What are our goals? We have no goals. Success is to achieve as many points as we can. You saw the crowd's reaction. The win means everything to them and we were very aware of that."

Williams, once a player with Ipswich, may not have been the high-profile name expected when he was promoted from assistant to replace Phil Parkinson, who had guided the club to promotion in May before leaving for Hull, who are now bottom of the table. But they have 14 points now, they are unbeaten in six matches and Williams is tipped to be named manager of the month for September.

Colchester may not have great resources - their ground was packed out last night for the biggest crowd of the season, 6,065 - but they work to what they have. Richard Garcia and Kem Izzet ensure they are first to every ball, and Ipswich lost out so often in the possession in midfield. After setting what had seemed a foundation for a season of struggle in their first few weeks, Williams' decision then not to swap any of his 10 outfield players for five successive matches has changed all that.

Colchester looked so organised, a team playing with a rich spirit. Their weapon was a clever, short-passing game which developed on either flank and it worked perfectly when Jamie Cureton drove in a low shot that the goalkeeper Lewis Price saw late, pushing the ball out and into the path of Duguid who drove it home low.

Ipswich thought they had equalised three minutes after the break when Alan Lee forced Aidan Davison into a fine save and Jon Macken scrambled in the rebound. The referee Lee Probert ruled it out for pushing on the goalkeeper but television replays suggested otherwise.

Even Williams was sympathetic. "I couldn't see why it was ruled out," he said. "I'm glad it wasn't given but if I'd been Jim Magilton I would have been disappointed." For his part, the Ipswich manager was angry with his team. "We set high standards at this club and we fell below them tonight," Magilton said.

Michael Phillips (The Guardian)