Gr-eight stuff from Peterborough United as in-form striker makes it six goals in three games in eight days

Even his own manager had written the centre-forward’s Posh career off a few months ago, but the 21 year-old has responded with six goals in the last three friendlies. He could have had five in the first-half here before completing his treble in the first minute of the second-half.

Abraham Odoh, Harley Mills, Kyrell Lisbie and Gustav Lindgren (twice) also netted as Posh showed neighbours little love for the second time in eight days. Sports had held League One side Doncaster Rovers to a 1-1 draw on the same pitch on Saturday so this result had some merit. Posh lost this fixture two years ago and actually went on to have a splendid season.

There were a couple of surprises in the Posh starting line-up as skipper and centre-back Sam Hughes returned from injury and forward Jacob Wakeling returned from the wilderness.

Sports fielded former Posh players Aaron Powell and Shaquile Coulthirst. New Aussie signing Josh Cavallo started on the substitutes’ bench for Sports.

And it all started rather well for Posh and their in-form marksman, the rehabilitated Ihionvien. He saw a shot cleared off the line in the first minute before Archie Collins failed to convert the rebound. He was on target 60 seconds later with a neat dinked finish.

Thoughts inevitably turned to a 6-0 win to match the recent Stamford game, but a bumpy playing surface and some careless passing led to a scruffy first-half display.

Posh ‘keeper Nick Bilokapic saved from home centre-backs Michael Gash and Ryan Fryatt following the same set-piece before the clearly super-confident Ihionvien was denied a second goal with a terrific chip from 25 yards by Crook who did well to palm away.

But Sports were pushing Posh back regularly and they deserved their equaliser when a deep cross from Kaine Felix was headed back across goal for an unmarked Max Booth to head home. Booth also scored for Sports against Doncaster

But within two minutes a sloppy back pass was intercepted by Ihionvien who went around Crook before tapping into an empty net. And two minutes after that Wakeling’s pass was taken on by Odoh who finished expertly from an acute angle. Ihionvien should have completed his hat-trick from the last incident of the half, but his close range header from a corner rattled the top of the crossbar.

It didn’t matter as in the first minute of the second-half a superb forward run by Cian Hayes was followed by a precise pass which Ihionvien tucked into the corner for his hat-trick.

Posh had sent on five substitutes at the break and one of them Harley Mills made it 5-1 on 49 minutes with a typically delicious strike from the edge of the area.

Posh were certainly crisper with their passing after the break as they assumed total control. Lindgren made it 6-1 on 65 minutes – and five minutes after coming on – following a neat set-up by Chris Conn-Clarke.

Tempers flared 20 minutes from time when grappling between former Posh defender Ashton Fox and current centre-back George Nevett developed into two yellow cards and a free for all.

The Posh management probably enjoyed the fact that several of Nevett’s team-mates were on the scene quickly. Togetherness has been a watchword for Posh since they returned to training. They have definitely enjoyed a rapid three-game winning streak which has yielded 15 goals, including one against a Championship side.

Lindgren though he had delivered the last word with another clinical finish three minutes from time with Declan Frith taking the assist, but there was still time for Lisbie to add an eighth goal in the final minute.

Cavallo came on for his Sports debut on the hour mark and forced Alex Bass into a fine late stop in front of a crowd of 1,349.

Posh: Bilokapic (sub Bass, 46 mins), Dornelly (sub Johnston, 60 mins), Freeman (sub Mills, 46 mins), Hughes (sub Nevett, 46 mins), Wallin (sub Lisbie, 61 mins), Collins (sub O’Brien-Brady 61 mins), De Havilland (sub Khela, 46 mins), Hayes (sub Mendonca, 60 mins), Odoh (sub Frith, 60 mins), Wakeling (sub Conn-Clarke, 46 mins), Ihionvien (sub Lindgren, 60 mins).

Sports: Crook, Trialist, Gash, Fryatt, Powell, McLintock, Brown, Miller, Felix, Booth (sub Cavallo, 60 mins), Coulthirst. Subs: Edwards, Fox, Jarvis, Trialist, Trialist, Trialist.