Jonson Clarke-Harris relieved to end Peterborough United scoreless run that had begun to affect him

Clarke-Harris netted two first half goals to help Posh on their way to a 3-0 win over Port Vale on Saturday (September 24). The goals were his sixth and his seventh strikes of the season, and kept him top of the League One scoring charts, but the goals were his first in six matches in all competitions.

Prior to Saturday, the last time he found the net was twice in the 4-0 win over Lincoln at the end of August. He did not score in any of Posh’s six straight defeats that followed- a run that had begun to take its toll before a meeting with Grant McCann on Friday helped to turn his fortunes around. He was even slightly disappointed after the game that he only scored twice.

He said: “Those goals sum me up as a striker- that’s where I want to be, right in between the sticks. The gaffer reminded me yesterday what I’m all about. Obviously, I’ve been disappointed that I’ve not been scoring, which I’m so used to, especially at home. When I’ve not been scoring in recent weeks, my head started to go. It affects you as a player.

“Every single game I want to score. I’ve been screaming for ages- give the ball to the better players and put the ball in the box and that’s where I’m going to be. The deliveries today were sensational, I could easily have had three.

“It should definitely have been a hattrick out there for me today but the keeper has pulled off a good save and I’m disappointed I didn’t get a third, but it’s all about the three points today.”

Clarke-Harris was also delighted with the performance of the team which he hopes to use as a springboard ahead of the trip to Milton Keynes next Saturday and the games that will follow. Posh now face a string of seemingly winnable homes games against Burton Albion, Forest Green and Accrington Stanley, before the derby against Cambridge, that present a chance to gain back some of the ground lost in recent weeks.

Clarke-Harris added: “It was a top-class performance from us today and it was a well-deserved win. We executed the game plan to a T and there were some sensational performances out there.

“Ricky was a nightmare all day, it’s the best I have seen him play and Kwame, we know what he can do. He chops and turns players inside out.

“I’m happy today that it’s all come together and hopefully there will be more games like that.

“Today was important but the game on Tuesday was more important. Everybody was involved and it got our confidence up. We showed that confidence today and it will give us a good week’s training ahead of the game next week. Now that confidence is back in the boys, we can keep taking it to new levels.”