Stoke are determined to take a point against Leicester on Sunday. And then to make another one in the Premier League next season.

Despite this victory in the last-ever game at Layer Road, Tony Pulis's side were denied automatic promotion by Hull's late winner against Crystal Palace and will need to close the deal in the final game of the campaign.

But even before the new Championship leaders have got over the finishing line, they are growing wearily accustomed to being slated from pillar to post for their direct approach.

Never using five passes when one will do, Stanley Matthews' former team believe in getting the ball forward quickly to their hefty strikers Ricardo Fuller and Mamady Sidibe. "It is a game plan that squeezes the life out of what used to be known as football," bitched the West Brom programme recently.

But call it crude or clever, it has proved robustly effective for Pulis's rapidly rebuilt side who are poised to return to the top flight for the first time since 1985. And Liam Lawrence insists his physically-imposing side are merely following a trail blazed by the likes of Bolton and will be competitive, in every sense, against the "big boys" next season.

"I don't care what people say about us," said the former Sunderland midfielder. "If we get the results and get in the Premier League then it is egg on their face and not ours. That was our goal.

"We play to our strengths. Other teams play to theirs of passing. But we play to ours, which is long ball sometimes, but we got the results. Watford had a similar style, but went down, but Bolton have been playing that style for years and they have been in the Premier League and stayed there. So it can work.

"I am sure that we will buy players, if we go up, and some things will change."

Johnnie Jackson, player of the year for relegated Colchester, agreed that Stoke's success this season justifies their style.

"You play football to win games," said the former Spurs trainee. "They have perfected that way of playing and it's been successful for them, so it's not for us to criticise.

"There's no set way winning games. You don't always have to go out and try to play like West Brom, you just try to win the best way possible and that's what they do. It will be tough for them in the Premier League but they will give it a good go."

A suitably scrappy goal in first-half injury time settled this anti-climatic encounter.

A trademark Rory Delap long throw caused pandemonium in the home box and Richard Cresswell steered home Lawrence's shot.

"It is still in our hands but the way our season has gone it was bound to go to the last day," admitted stand-in skipper Delap.

"It has been a test of nerve for the past three or four months now and although a couple of teams have fallen back, we have stayed up there.

"They are going to be massive games for us and for Hull. It is going to be a big day all round."

Colchester fans said goodbye to two outdated relics at the end - their 71-year-old stadium and the only slightly younger Teddy Sheringham.

Despite moving to a new 10,000-seaterstadiumat Cuckoo Farm next season, the future is a worry for manager Geraint Williams.

He admitted: "I am not confident about keeping the players I want because the club has to be run on an even keel otherwise you can get into financial difficulty and go right down."

Colchester: Gerken 7, Ifil 6, Coyne 6, Virgo 4 (Balogh 43, 5), White 6, Duguid 7 (Platt 88, 2), Jackson 7, Hammond 7, Elito 6, Lisbie 6, Vernon 5 (Sheringham 62, 1)

Stoke: Nash 7, Riggott 6, Shawcross 8, Cort 6, Dickinson 5, Lawrence 7, Delap 7, Whelan 8, Cresswell 7, Sidibe 7 (Ameobi 79, 5 ), Fuller 7.)

Referee: Kevin Friend ATTENDANCE: 6,300

COMPUTER

COLCHESTER

STOKE CITY

BALL POSSESSION

41%

59%

SHOTS

3 off target 3

1 on target 3

FACE TO FACE

2 Corners 10

5 Offside 4

14 Fouls 17

0 Cards 1

STOKE ON VERGE

OF PROMOTION

MAN OF THE MATCH

Glenn Whelan (STOKE)

8 Classy midfielder belies theory that Stoke cannot play football

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH

Teddy Sheringham (COLCHESTER)

1 Some Colchester fans chanted "what a waste of money" after his 20 appearances this seaason

Anorak Stoke's Delap has made 45 appearances this season and scored two goals

REMAINING GAMES

Colchester Sun, May 4: Scunthorpe (a)

Stoke Sun, May 4: Leicester (H)