Manager took pride and pleasure in relentless and dominant Peterborough United performance

Posh won 4-0 – a fourth League One win in five matches – to move to within two points of the automatic promotion places. They remain fifth though ahead of a tough game at fourth-placed Stevenage on Tuesday (November 28, 7.45pm).

Wingers Kwame Poku and Ephron Mason-Clark both scored as did Joel Randall, while the scoring was completed by an own goal as Posh made it nine goals in their last two home matches.

"I was proud of my players,” Ferguson insisted. “Whenever a manager enjoys watching his team play you know it’s been a good performance and that was the case today.

"It was a dominant performance. We were relentless going forward and in the end it was a very comfortable win.

"Obviously we are playing well going forward. The front four are all doing their jobs. Three of them scored again, while Ricky-Jade Jones delivered a great unselfish display, one that enable others to flourish.

"But there is also a growing maturity in the performances. We had the boost of an early goal here and then had many other opportunities to score before we got the second goal just before the break.

"But what I liked was we didn’t go away from our game-plan even though we were missing opportunities because of bad decision-making or good saves. It was the same in the Cambridge game recently. We just keep playing how we want to play and eventually the rewards come.

"We were also mature in how we managed the game. The second goal made it more relaxed for us and then we didn’t have to take risks in the second-half. We just made sure we didn’t make mistakes.

"We had started the game very aggressively which hasn’t always been the case this season. We caused them all sorts of problems in the first-half by overloading wide areas. Kwame and Peter Kioso caused them all sorts of problems.

"We had to change the way we crossed the ball as they started to cut the cut-backs out, but we scored twice from crosses in the second-half. One forced an own goal and the final goal came from a great cross from Harrison Burrows.

"After we went four goals ahead it became easy to make changes to get a rest into some players and minutes into others as we have a very tough game, and a very different one, coming up.

"We did get a bit sloppy towards the end, but the game was over by then. It was a very good day for us.

"These games are vital ones. I reminded the players about last season when we were expected to beat Cheltenham at home and lost 3-0. These games can be more difficult than playing the likes of Portsmouth as they look after themselves. These matches need the right sort of mentality and the players had it today.”

It was a 10th win of the season for Posh and they are now on 35 League One goals, the second most after new leaders Bolton Wanderers who beat Exeter City 7-0 today.