It is a familiar theme for post-match press conferences up and down the land - from the mega-rich world of the Premier League to the mud and thunder of local level action.

And it was certainly the case at Glanford Park on Saturday as the media men put the questions to Posh chief Darren Ferguson.

Normally it is the referee who bears the brunt of grievances from disgruntled managers, but not this time. Ferguson didn't have a bad word to say about official Nigel Miller's selection of pointing to the spot a couple of minute before the break.

It was his own defender Kieran Charnock, who found himself in the firing line. Charnock was not in good books after the clumsiest contribution of his first Posh appearance for seven months led to his side leaving Scunthorpe empty-handed.


Match facts:
Scunthorpe 1
Hayes (43 mins)

Posh 0

Attendance: 4,717.
Referee: Nigel Miller (County Durham) 7.

Yellow card: Togwell (foul).


Charnock – who was forming an emergency central defensive partnership with Shane Blackett as Posh went into battle without both Craig Morgan and Chris Westwood - clattered full-back Marcus Williams in the corner of the box late in the first half.

And striker Paul Hayes didn't need a second invitation to give Scunthorpe's so-far pointless season lift-off, coolly sending Joe Lewis the wrong way from 12 yards with what proved to be the defining moment of a game that never truly came to life.

"It was a bad decision. Not from the referee but from our player," admitted Ferguson in the wake of a second narrow away defeat since climbing into League One.

Ferguson clearly appreciates that throwing points away is not an advisable footballing habit, especially not when bossing large chunks of a contest as Posh have done at both Southend and now Scunthorpe in the early weeks of the campaign.

While he was undoubtedly a major factor, Charnock was not the only reason Posh returned pointless from North Lincolnshire.

Posh lacked the penetration that has won them so many matches during Ferguson's reign and clear-cut chances were at a premium until Scunthorpe exploited some big holes in the Posh defence in the closing stages.

The visitors had possession aplenty as captain Dean Keates and the genial George Boyd regularly had the key in the Scunthorpe door. But despite all their probing, slick passing and invention, the Iron defence would not budge.

Blackett should have done better with a free header from Russell Martin's fourth minute corner and had his effort nestled into the corner rather than flying past the near post, it could have been a very different game.

The shaky hosts offered little in the way of smart football while Posh always posed a danger on their fleeting forays forward.

Boyd guided a 30-yard drive and a bouncing volley straight at Iron keeper Joe Murphy while Craig Mackail-Smith failed to get a telling header on an Aaron Mclean cross before wastefully firing across the face of goal after dispossesing Scunthorpe debutant Krystian Pearce.

Stalemate appeared inevitable at the break until Charnock's unwise challenge, but it seemed only a matter of time until Posh levelled in the second period.

Camped in Scunthorpe territory and pushing the home side ever deeper, Posh cranked up the pressure. Mackail-Smith and defender Izzy Iriekpen both somehow managed to miss a tempting low Mclean delivery before Murphy had to stretch to tip over a Martin free-kick moments after the former Wycombe man had been moved into midfield.

Boyd hooked a half-volley over the bar after a smart move involving Keates and Mclean before the best chance of all went begging 12 minutes from time.

Keates' searching cross from the left perfectly picked out Sergio Torres at the back post, but the Argentine could only steer his effort wide.

It was a gilt-edged opportunity gone begging and also spelt the end of Posh's dominant spell as Scunthorpe carved out some splendid chances of their own in the closing stages.

Gary Hooper turned Blackett inside out before looping his shot over both Lewis and the crossbar. Then, moments later, Garry Thompson was even further off target when thundering a shot against the scoreboard attached to the roof of the stand after Blackett and Tom Williams had failed to cut out Ian Morris' hopeful long ball.

Lewis was also called upon to thwart substitute Jonathan Forte as Scunthorpe finished with a flourish.

Conceding again would have been further salt into a smarting Posh wound, but one goal was enough to ensure the fireworks of seven days earlier were fol- lowed up by the frustration of a second, avoidable League One away defeat.