Classy Cian stakes his claim for a Peterborough United first-team start in style

The Posh side for a Professional Development Under 21 League home match against Barnsley featured players who would reasonably expect to be in the running to act as cover for absent stars at Wycombe Wanderers. As well as Hayes, fellow winger Declan Frith, midfielder Donay O’Brien-Brady and striker Pemi Aderoju also started.

And they certainly hit the ground running in a bid to impress first-team boss Luke Williams. It was 2-0 after 20 minutes, 4-0 at half-time and 5-1 when the final whistle blew. Hayes scored twice with Noah Freeman, Joe Andrews and Frith also on target.

Full-back Freeman opened the scoring with a seventh-minute thunderbolt from 20 yards after Frith had teed him up, and Hayes claimed his first goal on 20 minutes with a tidy finish following a pass from midfielder Andrews.

Hayes and Andrews then combined for goal number three on 34 minutes. Andrews, who enjoyed an excellent game, fed Hayes out wide and his cross was swept home by the central midfielder who had kept running into the penalty area.

Frith's free-kick floated straight in for 4-0 and, after Barnsley had pulled a goal back early in the second-half, Hayes completed the scoring with a superb individual goal just before the hour mark after cutting inside two defenders and firing into the corner of the net.

The second-placed Under 21s are at Fleetwood for another league game next Tuesday (January 27).

Posh: Smith, Freeman, Andrews, Mendonca, Claxton, O’Brien-Brady, Frith, Odoh, Hayes, Sykut, Aderoju. Subs: Westcott, Fox, Shofowoke, Kamara, Changunda.

Posh Under 23s advanced to the semi-finals of the Northants Senior Cup with a 4-2 penalty shoot-out win at United Counties Premier Division side Daventry on Saturday. Patryk Sykut scored the Posh goal.

Posh lost their Professional Development Under 18 League game 1-0 at Coventry City at the weekend. The hosts scored the only goal in the 10th minute. The Under 18s are at Barnsley on Saturday.