Peterborough United boss admits the better team won the League One match at Lincoln City

The Posh boss admitted the difference between the sides was obvious as Posh were beaten 5-2 at the LNER by the high-flying hosts.

Posh led through Harry Leonard, but conceded three quickfire goals in the first half after a brief break caused by an injury to one of the linesman. Kyrell Lisbie pulled a goal back in the second half, but Posh then conceded twice more, including within a minute of Lisbie’s strike.

Posh slipped a place in the table to 12th, but still maintained a five-point gap to the relegation zone.

Williams claimed the break in play in the first-half was a factor in his side’s collapse, but he also pointed to some poor defending.

Williams said: “We started the game very well. We controlled the first two thirds of the pitch and we made good entries into the final third. We scored the first goal and looked comfortable, but then bit by bit, we lost our grip. We struggled particularly in transition and we didn’t defend our box in the big moments in the way we have become accustomed to.

“We also need to talk about the clinical nature of Lincoln, that’s why they are doing so fantastically well. We were beaten by a better team.

“It would be crazy to say that the break had nothing to do with it. Away from home the level of concentration to make the build-ups and to score the first goal is immense and the long delay didn’t help us. We also scored the first goal in the second half and there’s no reason other than some poor play that we concede almost immediately from the restart. Had we not done that, we have a chance to trying to wrestle a point back.

“We made some very good play for both our goals, but we didn’t make them work quite as hard for theirs and that’s a disappointment. The way we conceded after our second goal is the blow that knocked us completely off our stride.

“This group is not going to be physically dominant over any opposition in League One at the moment. It’s something we’ve dealt with well in recent weeks.

“It’s been a great festive period. We’ve played a team who are right at the top of the division an, at the moment, they are too much for us to cope with and there’s no shame in that. We came here against a tough opposition and with a big crowd against us and we played very well for the majority, but there’s some percentages missing and that’s why we are both in the positions we are in.”

Posh now have almost a full week off before facing Bolton at home on Saturday (January 10, 3pm). Bolton are winless in three having failed to beat Mansfield Town, Doncaster Rovers and Northampton Town.