Peterborough United boss hails Vertu Trophy victory over Birmingham City as his best Wembley moment

Posh defied the odds on Sunday afternoon to lift the EFL Trophy for a third time and for a second season in succession.

Harley Mills’ stunning free-kick and an effort from Hector Kyprianou were enough to seal a 2-0 victory over League One champions Birmingham City.

Following scenes of wild celebration at full-time, Ferguson hailed the victory as his best under the arch and praised the belief of his players when many had written them off before kick-off.

He said: “It feels fantastic. I’m so proud of the boys.

“The biggest compliment I can give them is that they fully deserved to win the game. Nobody can argue with that.

“To a man, they were fantastic. We took a lot of belief out of Tuesday. It became an easier game to prepare for in that sense.

“That is the best one for me at Wembley today for me by far because of the opposition we played, that’s a Championship team we’ve beaten. They are one of the best squads League One has ever seen.

“I could feel it with the players. The last thing I said is that you’ve got to play with conviction and belief and the players did that. I told them you can either turn up and believe you are never going to lose this game regardless of what happens or you can accept defeat, like a lot of teams have done against Birmingham before a ball has been kicked. The players played with real belief.

“As a team, we defended superbly. That is what I took from Tuesday, we were too passive and showed them too much respect. We had to be more aggressive in the right areas and from that we got counter attacks. We were a massive threat on those.

“As the game went on, they had more of the ball but I don’t think they hurt us; we had the better chances. Jed was outstanding today and he’s made a big save in stoppage time.

“Harley has a wand of a left foot, his set-piece delivery is outstanding. It was a fantastic goal and both were outstanding finishes. It was that quality that won us the game.

“The first goal was big, if we had lost the first goal against them, it would have become difficult.

“I was delighted for Hector to score the second because he’s not had the season he wants. He’s had a lot of pressure on him and that’s a great send off. For a captain to lead the team out, score a goal and lift the trophy, you can’t get any better than that.

“Today is about the whole group. It was important for many reasons for this young team, for the fans, for the families, for Darragh, for Barry, for everyone. It’s been a really challenging season but this is why I take this competition seriously.

“One thing that is really underestimated in football is how happy you can make people. The team have made someday out for so many people out there today. It’s a day they will never forget.”

Posh are back in action on Good Friday (April 18) in League One as they host Stockport County.