PETER JACKSON may have taken the wrong route to Glanford Park, but his Reserves powered down the fast lane to promotion.
Twice behind in the winner-takes-all contest, Town's classy four-goal second-half blast carried them to the Division I East championship in style.
It was just reward for coaches John Dungworth and Martyn Booty, who have steered the second string through a 10-match winning run to pip Scunthorpe on the line for the only promotion slot.
The players, too, deserve huge credit, although the tougher tests they will face next season - at least for the younger lads - will serve them better in terms of experience and development.
For now, however, they can reflect on a job well done and the fact it was a home-produced success - six Academy graduates started the match and nine finished it!
How fitting, though, that a man who has served Town over two distinguished spells - club captain Rob Edwards - should round off the scoring five minutes from time on what could be the last occasion he wears the Town colours.
By then, Town were cruising to victory against a Scunthorpe side including ex-Galpharm full-back Kevin Sharp, and their trials of the first half had been forgotten.
Time and again, despite some questionable offsides, Town were ripped apart by simple through balls and a lack of communication at the back led to goals for Ritchie Ryan (10 mins) and Andy Parton (40 mins). In between times, Junior Mendes equalised after 18 minutes from a lovely move involving Matthew Young, Danny Schofield and Edwards, who teed up a close-range volley.
It was Lee Fowler's crunching 45th-minute equaliser, however, which proved the crucial turning point.
The busy midfielder - who was stationed in front of a back three in a much-needed tactical change from 4-4-2 mid-way through the first half - got forward to drill in a 30-yard drive which took an awkward bounce past keeper Tom Evans.
Town knew they were fortunate to be level because Phil Senior, who mysteriously picked up Fowler's back-pass to present Scunthorpe with the chance for their free-kick opener by Ryan, had saved brilliantly from Andy Brown and also seen Brown, Parton and Russ Penn miss easy chances on the break.
From the moment Nat Brown won the first header of the second half, however, it was a different story.
Young, who worked tremendously hard throughout alongside the gritty Aaron Hardy, put Town ahead for the first time on 52 minutes when capitalising on an Evans drop.
It was persistence which led to the goal while, six minutes later, it was pure impudence which put John McAliskey's name on the scoresheet - he scored with a brilliant back-heel after Fowler's corner had ricocheted between defenders.
Mendes extended the lead with his second of the match on 68 minutes and went close to a hat trick before joining Fowler on the sidelines - both men congratulated warmly by Jackson for their contribution.
Youngsters Joe Shaw, Chris Evans and Adam Wilson all got a chance in the final 20 minutes and worked well, reflecting most of the Reserves' performances in a season when they topped the 10-team division with 42 points.
Town - Senior, Lloyd, Edwards, Fowler (Shaw 71), Brown, Hardy, Walls, Young, McAliskey, Mendes (Evans 75), Schofield (Wilson 80). Subs not used: Giles, Sheridan.
