Stoke scored three goals in nine second-half minutes to win a bad-tempered clash with Colchester - and move level with sixth-placed Southampton in the race for the Coca-Cola Championship play-offs.

Trailing to a controversial Chris Iwelumo penalty at the break, the Potters hit back through Darrel Russell, Mamady Sidibe and Danny Higginbotham in an intriguing clash which saw eight players booked and one - the Us' Chris Barker - sent off.

The result was tough on Colchester, who deservedly led at the break, but their hopes of gatecrashing the play-offs in their first season at this level are now all but over.

But the Potters head into their last game - at QPR - in seventh spot, and with the same points and goal difference as the Saints who occupy the final play-off berth.

Richard Garcia curled an early sighter wide for the visitors, before Iwelumo volleyed just over at the far post following good work from Hogan Ephraim as the Essex side made the brighter start.

Jamie Cureton then forced Steve Simonsen to tip his shot over the bar and the former England Under-21 goalkeeper was called into action again soon after, turning Iwelumo's header round the post after Chris Barker's cross.

The Potters finally had an effort on goal in the 20th minute, but Lee Hendrie's shot from the edge of the box did not trouble Dean Gerken.

Another Hendrie effort was blocked by Pat Baldwin, before a bad foul from Baldwin on Hendrie resulted in a dispute which saw three players booked - Baldwin and Karl Duguid for the visitors and Andy Griffin for the home side.

Sidibe shot wide for the home side on the half-hour mark, before Ephraim and Kemal Izzet were also off target at the other end.

Salif Diao then became the next man to go into the book for a foul on Izzet, before Gerken was finally tested by a powerfully-struck Ricardo Fuller effort.

But then came the moment of controversy when Diao slid in to challenge Iwelumo, and although he looked to have won the ball, referee Graham Salisbury pointed to the spot and Iwelumo fired home into the bottom right-hand corner.

Fuller's yellow card was the only action of note early in the second half, until Stoke scored twice in the space of five minutes to turn the clash on its head.

Sidibe was heavily involved in both, heading a cross back across goal into the path of Russell, who poked home his seventh goal of the season from close range.

And the former Gillingham man hit the target himself on 57 minutes, collecting a Liam Lawrence pass and firing home his eighth goal of the season from just inside the box.

Sidibe then saw a close-range header saved by Gerken, before Iwelumo forced Simonsen into a save at the other end.

Baldwin then fired over, before Sidibe had a shot deflected wide by Wayne Brown and from the resulting corner, Stoke extended the lead.

The corner was swung in by Hendrie and Fuller flicked on at the near post and Higginbotham arrived to dive and head home from six yards out.

The shellshocked Us tried to get back in to the game as Izzet headed over from a Garcia cross, before their task became a lot tougher as Barker - a one-time Potters loanee - was shown a straight red card for an off-the-ball elbow on Hendrie.

George Elokobi had one last effort for the visitors, but it went well off target - and their hopes of a result went with it.

Teams:

Stoke Simonsen, Hoefkens, Fortune, Higginbotham, Griffin,Lawrence (Eustace 84), Russell, Diao (Martin 90), Hendrie,Fuller (Pericard 90), Sidibe.

Subs Not Used: Hoult, Zakuani.

Booked: Griffin, Diao, Lawrence, Fuller, Sidibe.

Goals: Russell 53, Sidibe 57, Higginbotham 62.

Colchester Gerken, Duguid, Baldwin, Brown, Barker,Garcia (McLeod 71), Izzet, Watson, Ephraim (Guy 75),Cureton (Elokobi 81), Iwelumo.

Subs Not Used: Davison, White.

Sent Off: Barker (78).

Booked: Duguid, Baldwin, Watson.

Goals: Iwelumo 38 pen.

Att: 20,108

Ref: G Salisbury (Lancashire).