Posh join rich list

Last updated : 28 May 2007 By Paul Smith

Final position: 10

Top goalscorer: Aaron McLean and Danny Crow both finished with ten.

Player of the Season: Craig Mackail-Smith. Though he only joined in

Mackail-Smith in familiar celebratory mood
January, Mackail-Smith has had a massive impact on Peterborough helping to change their fortunes dramatically in the New Year.

Scoring fifteen times in 28 appearances for Conference outfit Dagenham & Redbridge earnt him a move to league football at the end of the January Transfer Window.

He has lived up to his billing after Posh spent big on him and was the most exciting aspect - along with fellow new boy George Boyd - of Peterborough's eventual playoff charge.

Skilful, energetic and with goals to boot in just thirteen appearances, Mackail-Smith was the highlight of the season for Peterborough.

Against Notts: The two sides met at Meadow Lane at the end of August and played out a 0-0 draw on a hot day in Nottingham.

Far from being a bore draw, the game was very much a physical battle with both sides giving their all in a blood and thunder clash.

At London Road in March, Peterborough were deserved 2-0 victors as they dominated a poor Notts side.

Boyd and Craig Morgan hit the decisive goals within five minutes of each other in the second half to dent Notts' playoff aspirations and enhance Posh's own.

Defining moment: A 2-0 home defeat to Chester City on December 16 signalled the start of a dramatic collapse of form for the Posh who went on to lose nine of their next eleven - and drawing the other two.

The slump coincided with Keith Alexander's exit from the managers job and the eventual appointment of Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's son, Darren.

United were hopeless in this spell and when behind didn't know how to get back on track.

MacAnthony is the man with the money
This is the form that eventually saw them miss out on the playoffs - in the end by just six points. When you notice that 31 were dropped at this time then you realise the catastrophe it was.

Highlight: The signatures of Mackail-Smith and Boyd could prove to be two of the best signings seen at this level.

They both look frightening in attack and demonstrate the spending power Peterborough have under chairman Darragh MacAnthony.

Not only were they big players as the Posh halted a slide after Christmas and pushed on at the end of the season, but in the future they will be even bigger and are already firm fan favourites.

Lowlight: Top scorer McLean suffered a bad injury just prior to Notts' second meeting with Peterborough at the start of March, and was in great form at the time striking up a good partnership with Mackail-Smith.

His injury ruled him out for the season and halted United's progress.

The Mad verdict: They promised so much yet delivered so little.

Peterborough - as will be the same next season - were expected to challenge heavily for success at the top of League Two.

A new boss in Lincoln City stalwart Alexander, who knew the division inside out and brought with him several other experienced players who also did in the names of Simon Yeo, Ben Futcher and Richard Butcher, and a new chairman prepared to give heavy financial backing.

But it didn't help as their defence often let the side down with frailties leaving long-serving 'keeper Mark Tyler heavily exposed.

Goalscoring and entertainment was never a problem but grinding results out was and they largely flattered to deceive.

Their squad was good enough to at least make the playoffs and although they gave it a good shot at the end of the campaign it was disappointingly too little, much too late.

Ferguson could be gearing up for a promotion party

What's next? Promotion already looks assured considering the wealth of spending power available to Ferguson.

With the likes of Boyd, McLean, Mackail-Smith and Micah Hyde already in the squad a nucleus was there. Now they have added two of the players who were part of the official League Two team of the year in Ashley Westwood and Dean Keates - the latter reported to be on £2,700 a week - with several others on the way.

They can even afford to transfer list youngster Danny Crow who would be good enough to start in any other team in the division.

The bookies make them favourites for the Championship, and money talks.