Good luck predicting how Peterborough United will play at Lincoln, but there is one certainty, plus key improvements, applauding the goalkeeper and social media stupidity

Will the team deliver a repeat of the gormless display of last weekend? Or will they produce a second successive glorious feast of attacking football as seen at Burton Albion on Tuesday night?

Obviously it needs to be the latter just to keep this frustratingly inconsistent season alive. Indeed Posh could well need to win seven or eight of their remaining 10 League One games just to have a chance of finishing in a play-off place and that’s a tall order for a team who have won three in a row just twice all season.

Even if sixth-placed Bolton lose at leaders Sheffield Wednesday on Friday and Posh beat the Imps the following day thus reducing the gap between the teams to three points, Darren Ferguson’s side would still be third favourites to overhaul two decent sides and grab the final play-off spot.

You never know though, although the one certainty ahead of a game between a team who never draw against one that always draws, is Lincoln won’t play with a high back-line.

That is footballing suicide against a Posh team with plenty of pace out wide as Lincoln discovered at London Road back in August and Burton found out last night.

If Posh do fail though, let's hope it’s at least with all guns blazing, playing the risk-reward, front-foot exciting football we saw at the Pirelli Stadium.

TALKING POINTS FROM POSH AT BURTON…

1) Some marvellous attacking play quite rightly grabbed the headlines last night. The speed and precision of Posh on the counter-attack was wonderful to behold, but the contribution of goalkeeper Will Norris shouldn’t be overlooked. He rightly copped plenty of flak for a dozy display in the previous game, but he was one of many who were horribly under-par and they didn’t receive the abuse he collected. Norris still gives out jitters when taking an apparent age to clear a ball at his feet, but he made a couple of crucial saves at important times in the first half when those directly in front of him rocked. It was an impressive comeback from a player who deserved the post-match applause from his manager.

2) I’m not one for demanding apologies from players or criticism of owners when they tweet innocent stuff after a game. If a club owner, one who helps prop Posh up financially, mentions he’s taking a referee course on social media, or that he likes Gary Lineker, it doesn’t deserve the ‘out of touch’ backlash it receives on social media, even if Posh had been beaten badly earlier in the day. Joe Ward was the one player I did see on Twitter come out and admit the performance against Cheltenham was horrific and wouldn’t be repeated. It’s an easy thing to say, but Ward backed it up with an excellent personal display.

3) It was a shock in a way to see Ephron Mason-Clark start for Posh last night. He was hauled off after 26 minutes at the weekend and recent displays had looked lethargic. He could have sulked, but instead he responded with a barnstorming display which terrorised the Burton defence, particularly before the break. If such obvious pace, power and skill can be complemented by greater consistency, Posh have a top, top player on their hands.

4) One of Saturday's many frustrations was the number of through balls played to Jonson Clarke-Harris, presumably in the hope he’d turned into Usain Bolt overnight. Clarke-Harris is a penalty box predator. Cross the ball to him accurately and he will score as he did twice last night. Too often this season he’s been frustrated enough to drop deeper and deeper which is not the best use of his skills, although his part in Harrison Burrows’ goal against Burton shouldn’t be under-played. He showed great control on a tricky surface and a neat passing touch to set Mason-Clark on his way to deliver the pass of the night with the outside of his right boot.

5) Posh are now 11th in the League One away table with seven wins, one more than Bolton and Derby. It’s a reflection of the teams Posh have travelled to play as much as anything, but it’s an improvement nonetheless. There was also one excellent set-piece move last night that Frankie Kent should have converted. That’s another improvement.

6) Social media is the place to go for Posh conspiracy theories. People who really should know better have already given us ‘the chairman went into the dressing room after a game’ and ‘Posh can’t afford to sack Grant McCann’ among other bilge. The latest was Jeando Fuchs’ recent absence being explained by a 50th appearance triggering a payment to a former club Posh didn’t want to/couldn’t afford to pay. Anyway congratulations to Fuchs on making his 50th Posh appearance last night as a second-half substitute with Posh 5-2 up.