Exeter City manager felt his side could have taken something from a trip to Peterborough United, but his team were left to rue a slow start

Posh took a 2-0 lead into the interval after strolling through the first-half against the powderpuff Grecians.

But the visitors improved markedly in the second-half and gave Posh several anxious moments before Jonson Clarke-Harris bagged a third Posh goal 20 minutes from time.

“It was another poor start where we have gifted too many opportunities and goals to our opponents,” Caldwell moaned. “We were always going to have to work hard off the ball against a team going for the play-offs, but in the first half we weren’t ready to compete.

“We found ourselves 2-0 down, but then got a fantastic reaction in the second half when we could probably have got back to 2-2 or maybe even taken the lead.

“We got the goal, we hit the post and then there were other opportunities when we couldn’t quite find the right pass.

“We have to improve though and the message is clear that every individual has to be better.

“Certain things are said at half-time which have an impact, but it shouldn’t take that to get players to run and fight for this football club.

“We need that from minute one as we’re seeing it is very difficult to get back into games.”

Exeter are 12th ahead of their big Devon derby against Plymouth Argyle at St James Park next Saturday.