Romantics everywhere – with the possible exception of Indiana – got the result they wanted in Super Bowl XLIV as the New Orleans Saints beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17.

Mardi Gras came early as the team from the Bayou City, appearing in the Super Bowl for the first time, surprised the favourites, twice coming from behind to win.

Drew Brees, the quarterback, was rightly voted Most Valuable Player [MVP] for a superb performance in which he completed 32 of 39 passing attempts for 288 yards and two touchdowns.

But arguably the key play of the game was the intercepted pass thrown by Peyton Manning, the Colts’ quarterback, with 3 minutes and 24 seconds left in the game.

It was returned for a touchdown by Tracy Porter, the New Orleans cornerback, and Indianapolis could not recover.

Manning had dominated early on, and threw for 333 yards in the game but he seemed unable to regain his rhythm once Brees began to get into his.

Manning had been spoken of as a candidate to enter the Hall of Fame as possibly the greatest ever in his position, but instead he will first have to live down the key error of this game.

However, the evening deservedly belonged to the Saints, who benefited from typically brave play-calling by Sean Payton, their head coach and, improbably, a former Leicester Panthers quarterback. “I’m proud of this team, the coaching staff and everybody back in New Orleans,” Payton said.

It belonged to Brees, and Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas, the running backs. And Marques Colston, the wide receiver, who recovered his composure after an early error. And the defence, who stood up to Manning and forced the turnover when it mattered.

And most of all, it belonged to the supporters of the team who rallied behind them as a unifying and inspiring force in a city that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

No longer do they have to wear paper bags over their heads to prevent themselves the embarrassment of being identified as fans of the team formerly known as the Aints. Their black and gold-clad favourites were the top points scorers in the NFL this season, winning their first 13 games of the campaign, and no-one can say that they did not deserve a first Super Bowl victory.

They have become as much a symbol of their city as a sports team, a rallying point for those still suffering from the after-effects of the aftermath of the hurricane. Players and coaches helped with relief efforts and their home stadium became a shelter and a refuge.