Colchester United virtually guaranteed Second Division football for another year after chalking up their fifth successive home victory, at the expense of visiting Swindon.
The Essex club were in the relegation zone just two months ago and looking candidates for the drop, but there has been a dramatic turnaround at Layer Road, instigated by new manager Phil Parkinson.
And Kemal Izzet came up trumps with his third goal in four matches to propel the U's to 52 points and the safety of mid-table.
Izzet struck in the 57th minute with his seventh goal of the season. Johnny Jackson, who had a spell on loan at Swindon early in the season, headed goalwards from Joe Keith's corner and there was the diminutive Izzet to nod home from close range.
Having gone eight home matches without a victory, the U's have now won their last five, starting under caretaker manager Geraint Williams and carried on by Parkinson.
Swindon bossed possession for much of the game, and manager Andy King operated with a three pronged attack of Sam Parkin, Danny Invincible and Eric Sabin.
Yet most of the work that Colchester keeper Richard McKinney had to do was dealing with crosses, corners and free kicks.
Irishman McKinney never put a foot wrong against his former club - he spent last season at Swindon but only made one appearance for the Wiltshire club.
Chances were at a premium throughout the match but Swindon did come close to grabbing an equaliser just two minutes after Izzet put the U's ahead.
Defender Jerel Ifil, on loan from Watford, looked sure to score with his header aiming for the back of the net, only for Keith to hack it away off the goal line.
McKinney was grateful to his team-mate Keith for this intervention, but he deserved his clean sheet for a competent display, backed up by centre-half Scott Fitzgerald and Pat Baldwin.
The U's have now suffered just one defeat in their last 12 matches which is promotion rather than relegation form.