Peterborough United frustrated by the weather, difficult opponents and a chronic lack of confidence

Posh drew 0-0 with a Gillingham side managed by former Posh boss Steve Evans and dropped three places to ninth in the League One table.

It’s now five games without a win in League One for Posh and they’ve failed to score in four of those matches. To compound the disappointment captain Mark Beevers was sent off late in the game and Posh players have now seen a red card in each of the last three League one matches, but Ferguson insists he still saw positives in the latest display.

Posh gave new £500k signing Jack Taylor his debut, but Marcus Maddison was consigned to the substitutes’ bench by illness and teenage striker Ricky-Jade Jones was absent through injury.

Top scorer Ivan Toney missed a great chance to win the game in the 95th minute.

“Jack’s debut was very promising,” Ferguson stated. “And we kept a clean sheet and the lads stuck together against very difficult opponents in very tricky conditions.

“But it’s a disappointing result. There is a big lack of confidence throughout the team and whenever we threatened to get some momentum we couldn’t keep it up because we’d give away a soft free kick or we’d let the ball run under our foot.

“Mark’s sending off was soft. His first yellow card was nailed on, but for the second one I have no idea where their player was going. The referee told me he would have been through on goal which was wrong.

“I knew we were in for a tough game because of the way Gillingham play. They make life tough for opponents and I have to say the very strong windy conditions suited them.

“They knock the ball long, try and win set-pieces and just get the ball into the penalty area as often as possible.

“Apart from a couple of headed chances late in the first-half when they hit the bar they didn’t create much. It was pressure rather than good chances to score, but we couldn’t get anything going ourselves.

“We had a couple of good chances with Ivan missing the best one at the end, but Mo Eisa also hit the bar from a chance he would have tucked away at the start of the season.

“We just have to ride through this run and find a way to grind out a win. We have shown before this season we can win several on the bounce, but finding the first win is always hardest.

“I have seen signs in recent matches that we are coming back, but the players need to believe it themselves.

“We have dropped a few places now, but we’re still close to the play-offs. A couple of wins will change everything.”

Posh are just a point off the final play-off position. They travel to lowly AFC Wimbledon next Saturday (January 19) when Beevers will serve his one-match ban.