A great advert for League One football, but what did Peterborough United and Bolton Wanderers learn from an exciting game?

The two teams play in very different ways, but both are relentlessly positive which should always be applauded, even though less attractive football has been good enough to win automatic promotion for Portsmouth and Derby County.

There’s nothing wrong with that of course. The best two all-round teams tend to finish in the top two and yesterday’s six-goal thriller at the Weston Homes Stadium not only highlighted why Posh and Bolton Wanderers are the two top-scoring teams in League One, but also offered reasons as to why they are battling for play-off glory rather than being able to put their feet up like the Rams and Pompey.

If Posh do meet the Trotters again in at Wembley, and neither camp will be thinking about that right now with tricky semi-finals to come, it should be a mouth-watering prospect as it’s doubtful there will be any major tweaks to either approach.

But, if Oxford United and Barnsley are seen off, rest assured both managers will be poring over the dvd from yesterday’s game to try and find the marginal gains required to separate two well-matched teams. There were only three points between third-placed Bolton and fourth-placed Posh in the final League One table and both games between them were drawn.

What Posh have learnt...

1) Bolton’s back three are slow, compared to the Posh attackers at any rate. And they play wide apart and high which leaves an enormous amount of space for mobile forwards to move into. Posh even exploited it in the first-half when they weren’t playing particularly well. Ephron Mason-Clark scooted clear towards the end of the half, but missed the target and Malik Mothersille slipped over when threatening on a couple of occasions. The opportunity to find space was even more apparent after the break when Bolton’s players tired noticeably after putting so much into the first-half. David Ajiboye was too quick for Eoin Toel and Mothersille was too slippery for Ricardo Santos when racing into the penalty area to score two tap-ins. No wonder Bolton’s defenders were constantly holding. They were at a huge disadvantage in a foot race. Even Joel Randall scored an unusual goal for him, one that involved sprinting clear from halfway. No-one looked like catching him and he supplied a delightful finish.

2) When Jonson Clarke-Harris is absent, the Posh crossing into three forwards not blessed with aerial power has to be precise. It helps when there is a centre forward who knows where to run and where to stand to give himself the best chance of a goal. It looks second nature for Malik Mothersille who delivered two simple finishes from superb crosses. He could be a goal machine next season, especially if Posh remain in League One.

3) Posh will need to play through the press much better than they managed in the first-half yesterday, but at Wembley they would have a better playing surface which should help. Bolton’s press was strong and persistent, but Posh will have a plan to beat it at Wembley if the teams meet again. If they can get through it, even before the inevitable fatigue sets in, the the joy they should then find on a wide pitch could be decisive.

What Bolton have learnt...

1) Bolton’s goals yesterday came from a recycled corner, a penalty and a fluke. They didn’t show great creativity in midfield despite the obvious quality of Josh Sheehan, but then they were missing the in-form Paris Maghoma as the Brentford loanee was ill. Maghoma didn’t play in the 1-1 Posh draw at Bolton either so he will be a different problem for Posh if the Wembley re-match happens. Bolton’s most regular attacking threat yesterday came from wide areas from wing-backs. Randell Williams won the penalty Bolton converted early in the game from the left and Josh Dacres-Cogley, a League One player-of-the-year selection, used the ball well and took up good positions himself on the right. It will be interesting to see if ex-Posh loanee Nathanael Ogbeta plays if there is another meeting. His direct running and crossing ability could well trouble Jadel Katongo, if the full-back and Posh can see off the considerable threat of Oxford’s left-winger Josh Murphy in the semi-final first.

2) Bolton boss Ian Evatt has the deeper, stronger squad, of that there is no doubt. The presence of big strikers Cameron Jerome and Dan Nlundulu was a worry for Posh when they arrived as second-half substitutes. Jerome scored, albeit luckily, and Nlundulu almost did. There would be an argument for one of them playing from the off against Posh as starting forwards Aaron Collins and Dion Charles showed little sign of an understanding. In fact Collins’ only notable contribution was a rather weak attempt to win a second-half penalty.

3) Playing Nlundulu – he terrorised Posh when playing for Cheltenham in the first game of last season – would give Bolton an ever bigger physical advantage, which might be a route to victory for the Trotters if the sides meet again. If Posh defender Ronnie Edwards has a weakness it’s aerially when he often goes for balls he has no chance of winning in non-threatening areas of the pitch. Kyle Dempsey, who isn’t big, opened the scoring with a header yesterday. Bolton have quality in wide areas – they scored from two crosses against Posh – and early balls into the box could become an issue for Ferguson’s men if there is a powerful striker waiting to pounce.