No time for accusations and abuse as Peterborough United remain a work in progress, injury woes, two-tier officiating and why I don't want Lincoln City to be promoted

Posh will most likely remain a work in progress until the end of the next summer window. Bumps in the road are inevitable, especially when travelling to the homes of the best teams in League One.

The rise from the bottom of the League One table to the top half in the last two months should still be applauded, despite a 5-2 loss at Lincoln City bursting the bubble of some of us who were dreaming of an unlikely appearance in the play-offs. That could still happen as this remains a weak edition of the third tier, but Posh found out the hard way at the LNER Stadium how much improvement they still have to make.

Posh were excellent for half an hour. They played some outstanding football despite a dreadful playing surface, but once Lincoln found their normal form they overpowered their visitors and displayed a level of ruthless finishing that Posh haven’t managed to achieve all season.

Lincoln wouldn’t win a footballing beauty contest, but my goodness they are effective. They are well-drilled and well-organised, but most of all they are physically imposing. A team that barely changed during the hectic festive programme appeared sluggish at the start, but they were running hard and fast at the end of 90 minutes against a side who had cried enough three quarters of the way through the game.

OTHER TALKING POINTS FROM LINCOLN 5, POSH 2…

1) The key to the Posh rise up the table was an ability to beat those teams around them in the table. They picked up 16 points from six unbeaten games which was an excellent return and a necessary one leading into a tougher-looking January fixture list. The worst result of the last few weeks was not a heavy defeat at the hands of a team who could well be playing Championship football next season, it was failing to beat a poor Reading side at the Weston Homes Stadium, but Posh played enough good football in both of the games to be confident of continuing to pick up plenty of points.

2) Posh needed to make more of their dominance in the opening stages of the game. For all the possession they enjoyed and the space they created through the middle and down the flanks Lincoln ‘keeper George Wickens didn’t make a single save before Harry Leonard finally opened the scoring. Brandon Khela and Declan Frith both shot wide when well placed before the first goal. Compare that with Lincoln who proved deadly when finally creating chances. Both goals from Tendayi Darikwa were superbly taken from outside the area, while the classy Reeco Hackett, Adam Reach and Freddie Draper were clinical from closer range. Posh enjoyed 67% possession, but were outshot 17-13. more ammunition for those of us that believe stats and data are bunkum.

3) Those stats show Lincoln didn’t have to work that hard for their goals. Posh looked vulnerable under the high long ball and struggled to mark opponents who drifted out wide. The expectation that Lincoln corners and long throws would cause major issues proved to be false so it was desperately disappointing to still concede five goals to a team not renowned for enterprising passing or movement. Let’s hope it was a one-off for a defence who had played a huge part in three successive away wins before this game for the loss of only goal.

4) A Posh team-sheet without Ben Woods for this fixture provoked a press box groan. If ever a game needed a physical presence it was this one and Woods can be destructive in his ball-winning. Khela came in and did well though, but once Lincoln got into their stride they were dominant in the tackle and in the picking up of second balls. Posh have started to pick up injuries, but it was good to see Rio Adebisi running on the pitch before the game. A left-footed left back is required despite the sterling recent efforts of Carl Johnston.

5) For the first time since Luke Williams took over as manager Posh scored the first goal and didn’t win.

6) Giving Pemi Aderoju, who has been goal-hunting at National League South level this season, half an hour off the bench in an attempt to turn a game seemed optimistic. Posh had shown they could pass through a packed defence which also made the withdrawal of their best player Matthew Garbett with 20 minutes look a strange move. It was 4-2 at the time so the game wasn’t quite dead and buried. Gustav Lindgren sat unused on the bench after something went amiss with him in the pre-match warm-up.

7) A new year and more proof of two-tier refereeing. Recent experiences with referee Charles Breakspear were a pre-match concern for some and his failure to administer obvious cautions for deliberate trips on Matthew Garbett (twice) and a late tackle on Kyrell Lisbie in the first quarter were more of a disappointment than a surprise. In contrast Archie Collins was cautioned (correctly) as soon as he committed a foul as was Kyrell Lisbie for the slightest of shirt tugs, just moments before Garbett was scythed down on the edge of the Lincoln penalty area, a foul that was not punished further. Lincoln made 17 fouls in the game compared to seven from Posh and yet the foul caution count was 3-1 to the visitors until Breakspear managed to show a yellow card for a dive having failed to punish a more blatant dive a few minutes earlier. Our referees are largely a lost cause, incapable of consistency or common sense.

8) I don’t want Lincoln to go up, even if they have now scored 13 goals in their last three games against Posh. I look forward to my visits to Sincil Bank. The atmosphere is great (I even quite like the air raid siren), the staff are great, the manager seems like a good bloke, it’s a short trip, the working facilities and view are excellent. I reckon they might just do it though and good luck to them. Some of the bigger, better financed clubs are struggling to match their momentum.