Half-time dressing down and a formation change inspired Peterborough United to a terrific win at Gillingham

Posh couldn’t get to grips with Gillingham’s direct approach in the first-half at Priestfield and trailled at the break to a John Akinde penalty, a spot-kick decision Ferguson described as ‘disgraceful.’

But Posh emerged from the dressing room for the second half with Siriki Dembele on from the substitutes’ bench in a change of formation to 4-4-1-1.

The reponse was magnificent as two goals from top scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris and a first League One goal since October 31 from Dembele secured a 3-1 win and second spot in the table. Hull will overtake Posh if they win at lowly Wigan tomorrow (February 17).

Ferguson said: “It was an excellent performance in the second half. We made a great start, scoring as early as we did and from then on, we dominated and could have had more goals. We passed the ball a lot quicker and scored some really good goals.

“In the first half, we just didn’t get going, we couldn’t keep the ball well enough. It is a difficult place to come and with the wind as well it made things more difficult, but aside from the goal they haven’t troubled us at all and Christy Pym hasn’t had a save to make in the entire game.

“I have watched the penalty back, it is a disgrace, Jack Taylor hasn’t touched him, he has just dived.

“Myself and Mark Robson got into the players at half-time and said to them they didn’t do themselves justice in the first half. We changed the formation, and it is a formation we have worked on quite a bit in recent weeks, and we caused them plenty of problems.

“I thought they would play a midfield diamond and we could get at them in wide areas, but we didn’t do enough with the ball in the first half. Credit to my players for the way they responded in the second half though. It was a terrific effort from all of them.”