On a positive night Hector Kyprianou has given Peterborough United a real headache, should Poku change position? and a manager who has every right to be angry

You could feel the massive sigh go around the ground after 33 minutes last night when Hector Kyprianou was shown a yellow card, harshly in my view.

His tenth caution of the campaign saw him collect a two-game ban rules him out of Posh’s biggest match of the season, Saturday’s home clash to Portsmouth on Saturday and likely Carlisle at home on Good Friday.

I had a feeling he would struggle to avoid a caution against a side like Stevenage but for him to receive the only one of the game was both surprising and gutting.

Given how thin Posh’s squad is this season, you could make a case that most players are irreplaceable but few as much so as Posh’s midfield general and even then, the man who would have been the best fit Jeando Fuchs- showed some good potential but was then cruelly struck down by injury for the rest of the campaign.

So the question is, what do Posh do? There is no longer a straight swap.

De Havilland comes in? – This would only upset one position although the two are hardly the same profile of player. De Havilland hasn’t wowed fans since he arrived and has shown the most aptitude for the number ten position rather than central midfield. He did, however, fill in for Kyprianou at Carlisle away, when he was serving his suspension for five bookings! Could he really do the defensive duty required against the league leaders though?

Katongo? – Has played in central midfield admirably in League One this season, notably against Barnsley, Port Vale and Blackpool. He has shown he can do it although he is just getting settled at right back and putting is some of his best performances, particularly in attack.

If Katongo, who goes right back?

Josh Knight- surely Posh will not face Portsmouth with their star centre-back duo broken up and Crichlow coming in. One of his last league starts would have come at Fratton Park, where he had a torrid game, convincing Fergie to bring Knight back in.

David Ajiboye- Fergie has mentioned him as a emergency right back but against Carlisle at a push and no more, I would have thought. There is no way Posh can line up with a winger who struggles to get a start in his natural position against Portsmouth.

Vontae Daley-Campbell- is he fit enough? He’s had three under 21s game, so he should be about there, plus he left Cardiff in February so Posh are not starting from zero with his fitness. It would be a big game to throw him in for a debut but he was clearly signed for a reason, so why not?

Verdict: Go with De Havilland. Kyprianou is a big enough hole already, we don’t need the uncertainty of a make-shift right back or a debutant, who has played hardly any senior football, as well. Why risk breaking two positions to try and fix one? It’s the safe option given the magnitude of the game. Perhaps Carlisle at home on Good Friday would be an ideal opportunity to have a look at Daley-Campbell, surely Posh do need to have a look at him. What is Katongo drops down injured tomorrow?

TALKING POINTS FROM POSH 3, STEVENAGE 1...

1- Is Poku a number ten now? He put on another strong performance in that position last night when moved there, adding his 11th league goal of the season and looking far more of a threat than when he was out of the wing. He showed a similar high level in that role at Burton, both times replacing Joel Randall, who was anonymous against Stevenage. Perhaps it’s time to consider where Posh can make the most of the 22-year-old. I do fear, however, that the one thing staying the hand of Ferguson from making the switch from the start is the fact that such a move would require either David Ajiboye or Michael Olakigbe to start.

2- Steve Evans is box office isn’t he? On Tuesday night, he was on Sky saying his side would win the play-offs if they were in them and on Wednesday, he’s launching into an extraordinary rant about referee Carl Brook. He said he has no respect for referees and were the sides reversed Posh would have definitely got a penalty. Often it is funny to hear opposing managers mouth off but it’s hard not to sympathise. It was a poor decision, Josh Knight has thrown his hand at the ball and punched it away. There is no doubt. He did have the decency to say that Posh’s penalty was the correct call but this is not the first time he has been on the wrong end of a shocker this season. I question whether ripping into referees in the manner he does will help change his fortunes with them but his team was hard done by last night.

3- I suspect because it’s League One, the FA will have better things to do like sitting around staring at the wall as Reading die but Carl Piergianni deserves to face retrospective action. It is a nasty thrust of the arm into the face of Ricky-Jade Jones that could have hurt him badly. It’s incredible none of the officials saw it. Evans had less to say on that and to be fair, Stevenage going down to ten at 0-0 would also have changed the game considerably!

4- Wednesday represented a rarity for Posh, four shots on target and three goals. In a game where Posh were looked so below par for large periods, that ruthless edge was most welcome. The same level of clinical finishing was on show against Northampton and Posh took their opportunities in key moments as time ran out against Burton. We’ve been used to multiple one-on-one misses, 30 shots, one goal per game this season. If Posh have really found their shooting boots now that is an ominous sign for the rest of the league during this run-in.

5- More practice needed? Posh have conceded from long throws in back-to-back matches now. Tom Hamer’s missile on Saturday was matched by that of Nesta Guinness-Walker and even Dan Butler before him. Perhaps we can expect a few more sides to start employing this tactic against Posh once they review the videos.

6- It’s hard to believe that Jed Steer has only kept three clean sheets in 11 Posh appearances. The business to bring him back for the whole second half of the season is looking more and more astute. He showed his class once again against an aggressive side who were launching balls into the box for fun. He commanded his box brilliantly and made a couple of crucial and impressive saves. He is also very good with the ball at his feet, something that has not been mentioned enough.

7- Posh have played in front of the Sky cameras three times this season and have come away with nine goals and three wins, 3-2 vs Derby, 3-0 vs Blackpool and 3-1 vs Stevenage. Oh please can there be a late change and for them to arrive again on Saturday?