Dilemmas now for Darren Ferguson, an irritating stat and two ton-up Peterborough United players on a frustrating afternoon

Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bolton Wanderers was nothing like that in terms of mystifying tactics and hopeless execution, although there was still great frustration at failing to beat a side reduced to 10 players by a thoroughly deserved red card on the stroke of half-time.

Posh found it easy to control possession – to be fair Bolton simply surrendered it for the first half an hour – and managed to hit the same post three times, twice from Harrison Burrows’ shots and once courtesy of home midfielder Kyle Dempsey, but, and don’t be fooled by 25 shots on goal, clear chances rarely arrived. Bolton goalkeeper Nathan Baxter was hardly overworked.

The number 10 role in this 4-2-1-3 Posh formation has become a real issue. To play the position effectively requires vision, good decision-making and some guile, particularly when faced with deep-lying massed defences. The lack of a natural 10 was exposed at the Toughsheet Stadium.

Ephron Mason-Clark was deployed there yesterday and made little impact. Joel Randall finds it easier to locate space, but has shown little sign of an end product. Burrows will probably get a go there soon, even though the quality of his crossing yesterday demands he stays in a wider role, but he’s not convinced in that more advanced role in the past.

Only occasionally did Posh veer from their preferred tactic of attacking from the flanks, even when cross after cross was repelled by the home defence now featuring a full-back as one of two centre-backs.

There was no attempt to play off Jonson Clarke-Harris and get into the penalty area that way and as a result Posh became too predictable which was a shame after a bright first-half display in a decent quality first 45 minutes.

Posh are a good side when they have space in which to play at pace. Not many teams are likely to give them it.

OTHER TALKING POINTS FROM BOLTON DRAW...

1) Posh didn’t drop a single point after scoring first in a game following Darren Ferguson’s return as manager in January, last season.

This season Posh have already dropped 10 points after scoring first, two against Bolton and Orient and three against Derby and Portsmouth.

None of the four leads have lasted longer than the 18 minutes between Ricky-Jade Jones’ goal and the equaliser at Fratton Park.

It was a 90-second lead yesterday, six minutes v Derby and 12 minutes v Orient.

2) There were actually two Posh players reaching the 100-game landmark yesterday. Jones, who is currently looking more dangerous than Ephron Mason-Clark on the left flank, has made all his appearances for Posh, while Ronnie Edwards made his 98th appearance for the club yesterday, according to club statistician Mick Robinson, if not by Soccerbase. Edwards also made two substitute appearances for Barnet before joining Posh.

3) Peter Kioso’s avoidable caution means Posh will have to find a right-back, as well as another captain, for next Saturday’s home match with Bristol Rovers. It’s surely doubtful young James Dornelly will be given the gig so that basically means Josh Knight or Jadel Katongo leaving their more natural centre-back roles to cover. Knight has played well in the heart of the Posh defence in the last two matches so there might be a reluctance to move him and play Katongo or Romoney Crichlow alongside Edwards. The other option is a change of shape to wing-backs with David Ajiboye playing on the right. It’s a dilemma for manager Darren Ferguson.

4) It was a surprise not to see the speed of Zak Sturge deployed against tiring opponents late on yesterday. The endless stream of crosses rarely looked like working so maybe the power and pace of Sturge would have enabled Posh to penetrate more effectively.

5) How predictable the managers disagreed on the red card decision. The only thing Ian Evatt got right in his post-match debrief was pointing out the dismissal spoilt what had been a fine spectacle.

6) Referee Ross Joyce was spot on with his allocation of red and yellow cards yesterday and his general decision-making was accurate, but the timekeeping from the officials was appalling for the second Saturday in a row. To add just four minutes in the second half when the 10 men were understandably trying to slow the game down and then to call a complete halt just 48 seconds over that time after there had been a 90-second comedy pitch invasion as well as a substitution and a free-kick that took far too long to take was inexplicable, but sadly not entirely surprising.

7) It’s now three points from the last 22 games for Posh when playing in front of a crowd in excess of 15,000. They did at least end a run of 10 defeats in a row when the crowd exceeds 20,000.