MATCH REACTION: An '˜outrageous' piece of skill rounds off a performance full of character from Peterborough United.

Posh striker Jack Marriott (left) celebrates his winning goal at Bury with Chris Forrester. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Jack Marriott’s 90th minute goal - following a fine pass from Marcus Maddison - secured a 1-0 win at bottom club Bury. The win lifted Posh into the play-off places for the first time since the end of December. They are sixth, two points clear of seventh-placed Plymouth, and just two points behind fifth-placed Scunthorpe with a game in hand.

“No-one should doubt the character of this team any more,” Evans, who has overseen two wins from two matches in charge, enthused. “It’s that character, spirit and harmony in the squad that enabled us to win tonight.

“The record books will show Jack Marriott’s goal won us the game, but our back five won the points really.

Posh player Danny Lloyd shoots at the Bury goal. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

“Jonathan Bond made some good saves, the centre-halves competed well and the full-backs were also good.

“We deserved to win because we were delivering wave after wave of attacks towards the end of the first-half, but they defended well.

“We found it much harder in the second-half which was a bit of a stalemate, but we kept trying to win the game and in the end Marcus Maddison has delivered an outrageous pass and Jack Marriott did what he always does. It did take an age for the ball to get over the goal-line, but it was a special moment for us. It was another accomplished finish.

“I kept Marcus on because of that quality. He hadn’t hit a good pass all night so I fancied he must make one before the end.

Posh striker Jack Marriott lets fly at goal at Bury. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

“The win will have the fans and the chairman dreaming, but we will keep our feet on the ground. It doesn’t matter where we are in the table now. We have 10 games still to play and there are a lot of tough matches in there. If you lose your focus you get a custard pie in the face and we don’t want that.

“Tonight we didn’t dominate the game, but we had the quality to get over the line. Sometimes you win well, but on other occasions you have to grind out a victory. We’ve done both in my two matches.”

Evans praised Leo Da Silva Lopes for his performance on his 100th Posh appearance.

“Leo was like a 29 year-old rather than a 19 year-old tonight,” Evans added. “What a great talent he is. He passed the ball better than he did on Saturday and he picked up more second balls than any other player on the pitch.”

Posh are next in League One action at managerless Oxford United on Saturday (March 17). Marriott has now scored 28 goals this season.