Posh Spice

Looking over our greatest victories against B*ro

This article was first published on UTAS’ website back in October 2022, ahead of our first league meeting with Posh in 21 years. A few years on, we’ve reposted it below to give everyone a cheery boost heading into Saturday’s game.

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Last season, the Cambridgeshire derbies did not make for good viewings for those of an amber persuasion. The first much more so than the second. With both of us looking at a third consecutive pair of league derbies after a long 21-year wait for one, we thought we’d take a look back at some of United’s greatest wins against the blue lot up the road - with an added update since this article was last shared.

Just to get you in the mood as Monk tries his hand at getting a result at London Road.

3rd January 1989 P*sh 1-5 United

A thousand members of the Amber Army crammed in to Cripple Sidings Lane for this encounter, and they were treated to one of the most legendary U's performances ever, one that's still sung about thirty years later.

Dion Dublin got United off to a flying start smashing in a cross from Gary Clayton after just two minutes. P*sh equalise a few minutes later through Dave Swindlehurst (no relation to UTAS' own Jack), before Dion adds a second through an error by their keeper. United go in at the break 3-1 up as Laurie Ryan follows up from a blocked Dublin shot.

The pair combine in the second half as a Ryan shot is parried to the feet of Dublin who fires it into the roof of the net to make it four to the mighty U's. Two minutes from the end Chris Leadbitter makes it five and a famous victory for United.

17 December 1989 United 3-2 P*sh

Taylor and Dublin. What a forward line. After Dion's heroics at London Road earlier that season it was Shaggy's time to write himself into United folklore with a B*ro-busting hat-trick of his own.

21 April 1990 P*sh 1-2 United

Three thousand U's fans packed into London Road for this one as United surged towards the playoffs. Like our previous visit United got off to a quick start, with Michael Cheetham squirming a shot under the keeper after just 21 seconds. Could another hiding be on the cards? Sadly not.

Another rough game saw U's players kicked and dragged all over the shop by the neanderthals in blue. B*ro equalise and look set to make home advantage count until Dion Dublin shows lightning quick reactions to stab home an Alan Kimble cross to send the U's back to civilisation with all three points.

3rd December 1994 P*sh 0-2 United

The FA Cup Second Round saw both rivals drawn against each other at London Road, and Dean Barrick's speculative shot put the U's 1-0 up, before Darren Hay doubled it before half time. Jon Sheffield in the U's goal kept us in it, and the following video features a large number of glum B*ro fans, which we LOVE to see.

11 April 1998 United 1-0 P*sh

A United forward line of Michael Kyd, Martin Butler and Trevor Benjamin showed promising signs this season and went on to greater things under Roy McFarland the season after. B*ro visited the Abbey on a rainy afternoon, and as their fans got their annual shower on the open Allotment End terrace it was left to Michael Kyd to score the game’s only goal, a long range effort past Mark Tyler. A sweet touch by the tannoy announcer saw him play Vera Lynn's We'll Meet Again as the P*sh fans dragged their knuckles back to their coaches, this defeat all but ending their playoff hopes for another season (familiar, that).

15 April 2023: United 2-0 P*sh

We couldn’t not include this one. The first home derby after this article was originally published, saw one of the more remarkable games in the rivalry’s history.

Not necessarily in the game itself, which saw U’s hero Harrison Dunk find his goalscoring form at the perfect moment to put United in front just before half time, and Sam Smith - in the middle of remarkable goalscoring form of his own - to double the lead after the break. But more so in the context of the game. This was the game that showed the passion, grit and desire United were battling for their ultimately remarkable Great Escape, needing to take points from their most bitter rivals to have any chance of doing so, and doing it emphatically.