Peterborough United boss on the good and bad of the derby win over Northampton Town

There was pride and enthusiasm for his players and the Posh fans, even after a seemingly comfortable win against a side reduced to 10 men after 10 minutes became a trial in the final 20 minutes.

But there was also irritation and disappointment in his how his side handled conceding a daft goal to Cobblers substitute Tom Eaves with a quarter of the game to play.

Williams also bristled at suggestions from the media that the nervy finish to the game took gloss off a result that lifted Posh out of the relegation zone for the first time this season. Posh have won four of their six League One games under Williams and moved up the table from bottom to 19th.

"Bragging rights are down to the result not the performance,” Williams insisted. “Derby games are about the fans and ours have seen their team win a big game. They can now go and have a drink to celebrate and text all their Northampton mates. They won’t care about the performance. To be fair both sets of fans made for a good atmosphere.

“Let’s be clear no gloss can be taken off the fact we won, but it’s my responsibility not to ignore the game as a whole. We were very good and created lots of chances, but after we scored the second goal there was some disappointing stuff and we have to learn from it.

“We made a mistake for their goal which can happen, but we were mentally wrong for the rest of the game. Football is an emotional game on the sidelines and in the crowd, but the players have to stay in control on the pitch. Fear is a terrible emotion and one nervy action was followed by more nervy actions throughout the next 20 minutes and that can’t happen.

"Look I am proud of the way the players performed for the most part and I was delighted for them that they won, but my job is to keep pushing them to be the players I know they can be.

"Psychologically it’s great to be out of the bottom four, but we still have plenty to do.”

Williams had praise for Cobblers and said the early red card for Jack Perkins for a high challenge on Peter Kioso was a shame for the game.

"Don’t ask me about the decision as I have the worst view in the ground,” Williams added. “But it was a big shame for the game. We don’t know how the game would have panned out as the red card was so early. I know Northampton had a plan which went out of the window early on, but to be fair they still did everything they could to stay in the game and then to get back into it.

"We shouldn’t have given them a chance, but they kept coming up with solutions. Tom Eaves came on and gave us problems, partly because we weren’t controlling the game against 10 men.”

Northampton stayed in 14th place, five places, but just two points above Posh.