Lack of quality in both boxes costs Peterborough United unbeaten run at Wigan

It was a night in which Posh had the ball for long spells, ending the night with 61% possession, but they were found lacking in both boxes.

Defeat at the DW, sealed by two defensive shambles, put an end to a 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions and nine in the league.

Posh pushed hard to keep the run going in the closing stages but the damage had already been done before that when a misdirected corner was allowed to fall right into the path of Callum McManaman with eight minutes to play and Posh’s defence froze when an innocuous ball was sent into their box after just seven minutes.

A well-taken Kwame Poku equaliser early in the second half for his third goal in four games had given Posh hope that their possession would have some meaning but they could not make it so.

For the amount of times Posh were able to work the ball into promising positions, Wigan’s goalkeeper had a relatively easy night.

Darren Ferguson restored all five players who had started the league match at Blackpool last Saturday but not the FA Cup draw against Salford which saw Jadel Katongo effectively keep his place in midfield ahead of Archie Collins, who was suspended for the victory over the Tangerines.

Wigan barely had a kick in the opening few minutes yet it was them who took the lead after just seven minutes.

Just when Nicholas Bilokapic was hoping for a quiet, confidence-restoring start to the game, Posh failed to stop a Jordan Jones cross which resulted in Godo running slipping free of Harrison Burrows and poking in past the Posh keeper who was caught in no-mans land in the middle of his box.

Throughout the half, Posh saw plenty of the ball but it was their hosts that looked more dangerous and almost doubled their lead when Posh were caught on the counter. One ball from Stephen Humphrys dissected the Posh backline, Callum Lang managed to cut past Josh Knight on the edge of the box but put his shot narrowly wide of Bilokapic’s far post.

It was Jordan Jones’s stunning effort that came crashing back off the crossbar that prompted Posh to switch to a back three, pushing Ephron Mason-Clark alongside Ricky-Jade Jones.

The change appeared to work but only in so much as it won Posh momentum back in the game, a series of poor crosses and weak shots right at the capable Sam Tickle were the best they could muster.

Posh continued the second half in the same vein but found that killer instinct ten minutes after the restart when Ajiboye beat his man and fired a low cross into the feet of Kwame Poku to fire back across goal and into the net.

As ever with Posh this season, that heralded the beginning of a period of Wigan pressure but Posh held firm and managed to see out the spell before going back on the attack.

Just as Posh were starting to become more of a danger in the final third, their defending let them down once again as Tom Pearce’s poorly aimed corner was allowed to bounce a couple of times in the box before dropping to an unmarked McManaman in the D to rifle home a fine finish.

Posh were able to force Wigan back in the closing stages and came close when Archie Collins’ slightly scuffed effort had to be cleared off the line and Jonson Clarke-Harris rose highest at the far post to head towards goal but neither could find the quality to beat the impressive Tickle in the home goal.

Posh: Nicholas Bilokapic, Harrison Burrows (sub Joel Randall 85 mins), Ronnie Edwards, Josh Knight, Peter Kioso (suv Romoney Crichlow 79 mins), Hector Kyprianou, Jadel Katongo (sub Archie Collins 73 mins), Hector Kyprianou, David Ajiboye, Kwame Poku, Ephron Mason-Clark, Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Jonson Clarke-Harris 79 mins)

Not used: Fynn Talley, Ryan De Havilland, Zak Sturge.

Wigan: Sam Tickle, Steven Sessegnon, Charlie Hughes, Liam Morrison, Omar Rekik, Liam Shaw, Scott Smith, Jordan Jones (sub Tom Pearce 57 mins), Callum Lang (sub Callum McManaman 82 mins), Martial Godo (sub Josh Stones 74 mins), Stephen Humphrys (sub Chris Sze 57 mins)

Not Used: Ben Amos, Kell Watts, Josh Magennis.

Goals: Posh – Poku (55 mins)

Wigan – Godo (7 mins), McManaman (82 mins)

Bookings: Posh – Kyprianou (foul), Katongo (foul)

Wigan – Lang (foul), Godo (foul), Sessegnon (dissent)

Ref: Ollie Yates 7

Att: 8,134 (240 Posh)