Peterborough United boss Darren Ferguson was close to quitting soon after a humiliating FA Cup defeat so Posh need to stay out of the headlines this weekend

‘Humiliated’ screamed the headline on the back page of the Peterborough Telegraph on January 16, 2014.
Compare the joy of the Kidderminster players with the despair of Posh skipper Grant McCann after an FA Cup shock in 2014.Compare the joy of the Kidderminster players with the despair of Posh skipper Grant McCann after an FA Cup shock in 2014.
Compare the joy of the Kidderminster players with the despair of Posh skipper Grant McCann after an FA Cup shock in 2014.

Posh had lost four League One matches in a row to slip out of the play-off places for the first time that season, but the newspaper’s main frustration was the result of a third round FA Cup replay defeat at the hands of non-league Kidderminster Harriers at London Road.

And the Posh manager at the time? Current boss Darren Ferguson.

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Posh had played pretty dismally in a 0-0 draw in the original tie at the mid-table Conference side, but they were desperate in the replay despite taking a first-half lead through Tommy Rowe.

Posh boss Darren Ferguson watches the Posh v Kidderminster FA Cup tie in 2014.Posh boss Darren Ferguson watches the Posh v Kidderminster FA Cup tie in 2014.
Posh boss Darren Ferguson watches the Posh v Kidderminster FA Cup tie in 2014.

A Britt Assombalonga penalty dragged Posh back to 2-2 after a Kidderminster comeback, but Joe Lolley, now a star at Nottingham Forest, claimed a cracking winning goal 15 minutes from time.

Ferguson didn’t say a lot after the game, but he can still remember the pain today. He’ll use it to motivate his side ahead of the visit of non-league Chorley for a second FA Cup tie on Saturday (November 28, 5.30pm kick off), a match that will be screened live on BT Sport.

“Thanks for reminding me,” Ferguson said when asked the Kidderminster question after Posh had beaten Plymouth 1-0 in a League One fixture on Tuesday

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“It was a horrible night and we all felt terrible afterwards. It’s certainly an experience I don’t want to repeat. We didn’t play well on the night.

“Kidderminster were a higher ranked side than Chorley though and we must treat this game on Saturday as a great opportunity to reach the third round of the FA Cup.

“We will show Chorley full respect, but there is only one reason the TV cameras will be at the game and it’s because they want to see a shock.

“We don’t want to be that side.”

The start of 2014 wasn’t a happy time for Ferguson who had been talked out of quitting by chairman Darragh MacAnthony following the heartbreaking last-day relegation from the Championship eight months earlier.

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And MacAnthony recently revealed he had to talk Ferguson out of leaving London Road two weeks after the Kidderminster shock after Posh had thrown away a 3-0 lead at Oldham in a League One game and lost 5-4.

That was the only occasion Ferguson has ever failed to meet the press after a match.

Posh managed to hang on to a play-off place that season, but lost in the semi-finals to Leyton Orient and Ferguson eventually left London Road the following February.