A blistering half-an-hour helped Peterborough United up to fourth in League One with a decisive home win

Anyone watching the first 30 minutes of the game would have been hard pressed to believe Posh would score four before an hour had passed. But they did, and they could have had more, as they ran all over visitors who looked shellshocked at the change in tempo, aggression and attacking intent.

The win was decisive enough to lift Posh up to fourth. albeit having played more games than the three teams directly below them.

Nathan Thompson and Harrison Burrows claimed their first goals of the season with Jonson Clarke-Harris reaching 10 for the campaign and Ricky-Jade Jones, who again delivered some dazzling moments, also on target.

Posh boss Grant McCann was forced into two changes with midfielder Ben Thompson falling ill and Kwame Poku failing to recover from a knock picked up in Saturday’s disappointing draw with Burton. Burrows received a chance to prove he’s the midfielder McCann believes him to be and Nathan Thompson returned to the side as a right-back, enabling Joe Ward to play in a more advanced role.

Forest Green were without in-form top scorer Connor Wickham, but did field former Posh players in goalkeeper Luke McGee and promotion-winning midfielder Reece Brown, although the latter lasted just 14 minutes before limping off with hamstring trouble.

For the second game in a row Posh started slowly. They saw plenty of the ball, but took too many touches and passed it poorly.

The visitors, who lined up with a rigid back five were better on the ball and should have scored on nine minutes after Thompson gave the ball away sloppily. First Brown took too long to shoot and was robbed by Dan Butler and then when Armani Little did get a strike away, Josh Knight was on hand to make a fine goalline clearance.

The Forest Green corners were a threat and a couple of headers drifted past the Posh goal to safety. Posh remained laboured in possession, but all of sudden the game sprang into life with three goals in nine minutes, two of them to Posh thankfully.

On the half hour Thompson arrived at the far post to bundle home Joe Ward’s cross following a short corner and for a few minutes the visitors appeared to be on the brink of collapse.

Burrows saw a shot kicked to safety by McGee after a neat exchange of passes with Clarke-Harris and Burrows almost punished McGee for a dozy peice of control by curling a 40 yarder from out wide just wide of an unguarded goal.

And then Forest Green equalised. Knight missed the ball completely when attempting a simple header near the centre circle and a pass and a deflection later and Josh March was finishing neatly into the corner.

The Posh response was quick with Clarke-Harris finishing well on the volley from Butler’s precise cross and then Posh felt they had won a penalty when Ricky-Jade Jones and McGee came together with the Posh forward appearing to win the ball.

Referee Darren Handley saw things differently though and awarded a free-kick to McGee.

Posh started the second-half in style though with barely 60 seconds gone before Jones latched on to a Clarke-Harris header to fire the ball past McGee at his near post from just inside the area.

Another thrilling run Jones’ run five minutes later had the crowd on their feet, but a weak finish ruined the sheer thrill of the chase.

But Posh were now rampant. The transformation from the first half an hour was remarkable and a fourth goal seemed inevitable and arrived on 58 minutes, albeit with a big helping hand from McGee.

Jones accepted Jack Taylor’s short pass, advanced and struck a swerver from 25 yards, but straight at McGee who fumbled it enabling Burrows to volley home the rebound.

Posh were now passing the ball very crisply against outclassed opponents. Jack Marriott replaced Jones just past the hour mark and Posh switched to three centre-backs and a pair of wing-backs.

They were almost immediately rewarded when a delicious cross from Ward, who was now at right wing-back, reached Clarke-Harris at the far post, but he muffed the opportunity from close range.

Posh made two more substitutions with 20 minutes to go with Jeando Fuchs, who is one caution away from a suspension, and Butler withdrawn in favour of Hector Kyprianou and Ephron Mason-Clark.

Mason-Clark was given his opportunity to impress just behind the front two, but the changes helped to kill momentum rather than enhance it. Not that it was going to matter in this game.

Lucas Bergstrom made his only save of the game when tipping Little’s 20-yard free kick over the bar in the 92nd minute.

Posh: Lucas Bergstrom, Dan Butler (sub Ephron Mason-Clark, 71 mins), Frankie Kent, Josh Knight, Nathan Thompson, Jeando Fuchs (sub Hector Kyprianou, 73 mins) , Harrison Burrows, Jack Taylor, Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Jack Marriott 61 mins), Joe Ward, Jonson Clarke-Harris (sub Joe Taylor, 83 mins).

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Kel Watts, Ronnie Edwards, Ephron Mason-Clark, Hector Kyprianou, Joe Taylor.

Forest Green: Luke McGee, Corey O’Keefe (sub, Dom Bernard, 75 mins), Bailey Cargill, Christian Marques, Oliver Casey, Kyle McAllister (sub Harry Boyes, 57 mins), Regan Hendry, Ben Stevenson, Armani Little, Reece Brown (sub Myles Peart-Harris, 14 mins), Josh March.

Unused subs: Lewis Thomas, Sean Robertson. Sean O’Brien, Harvey Bunker.

Goals: Posh – Thompson (31 mins), Clarke-Harris (39 mins), Jones (46 mins), Burrows (58 mins).

Forest Green – March (36 mins).

Cautions: Posh – Taylor (foul).

Forest Green – Boyes (foul).

Referee: Darren Handley 6.

Attendance: 6,670 (173 Forest Green).