Peterborough resolve to to improve their home form in 2019, starting on New Year's Day

Posh left-back Tyler Denton (right) impressed his manager at Accrington. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Posh go into their opening home game of 2019 against Scunthorpe tomorrow (January 1) in buoyant mood after thumping Accrington 4-0 at the Wham Stadium on Saturday (December 29) thanks mainly to Ivan Toney’s second hat-trick of December.

That was an eighth win on the road in League One this season and lifted Posh back into fifth place, but manager Steve Evans knows his side have to start winning regularly at home to maintain their status as promotion challengers. Posh won more games awaay from home than at home in 2018.

Scunthorpe arrive at the ABAX third from bottom, but they did break a run of six successive League One defeats by beating Wycombe 1-0 on Saturday.

Posh right-back Jason Naismith (right) should start against Scunthorpe.

“It’s a new year and we go into it in a positive frame of mind determined to bring our away form to the ABAX Stadium,” Evans stated.

“The players were outstanding at Accrington. To man they deserve all the credit going. I’ve criticised them publicly at times so it’s only right I pass all the praise on to them after such a performance. Ivan Toney will understandably get the headlines, but others played well. I was pleased with how Jason Naismith and Tyler Denton kept two taleneted wingers very quiet.

“It’s not the first time we’ve played like that away from home, but now we need to replicate it at the ABAX. A lot of the frustration this season has been not playing well in front of the bulk of our fans. Those that don’t travel have not seen us at our best and we want to put that right.

“Scunthorpe will present us with different problems than Accrington. They won’t play as high up the pitch for a start so we will have to come up with a plan to get through them.

“It’s a fact we won’t stay in the top six if we don’t improve our form at home. We all know it and we can make it a great start to 2019 by winning and playing well tomorrow.”

Evans is unlikely to change his starting line-up tomorrow, but he might tweak the formation. Defenders Jason Naismith and Ryan Tafazolli were both fitness doubts ahead of the Accrington game, but they sailed through the 90 minutes without any adverse reactions.

After this game Posh are in FA Cup action at Middlesbrough on Saturday (January 5) when the club are ‘hopeful’ they will have re-signed Lee Tomlin on loan from Cardiff City.