Peterborough United boss urges players to keep the faith as he explains a Saturday selection decision

Posh are at Blackpool on Tuesday for a Bristol Street Motors Trophy semi-final (8pm kick off) just a handful of days after losing to the same opponents in a League One match at the Weston Homes Stadium.

That was a fifth game in a row without a win and a fourth defeat on the spin, a run that has seen Posh drop to fifth, 10 points off the automatic promotion places.

Posh are travelling up North tonight with Ferguson set to name the team he thinks can book a final place at Wembley in the morning.

“We’re one win away from a final at Wembley so of course we are highly motivated,” Ferguson said. “We have done well in this competition and now we need to finish the job.

"Obviously it’s a tough game against a team who are much better at home than away, but you take who you get in a semi-final. It’s a different challenge for us, but we were very, very good up there earlier in the season.

"We had a positive meeting with the players on Sunday morning. We took the good and the bad from Saturday’s game, but we must keep believing in how we play and if we do our results will turn.

"We couldn’t finish Blackpool off and then a goal changed the game, but it’s important if we do concede we don’t change the way we are playing. I go back to the Derby game when we conceded after 20 seconds, but we stuck to our plan and delivered a great performance.

"We’re having a bad run, but there’s still every chance we have a positive season, one that could include a trip to Wembley.

"I’m picking the team tomorrow after assessing everyone. There are one or two who look tired and there is no way I will risk anyone who we suspect might be in danger of picking up a muscle injury.”

Midfielder Ryan De Havilland could get a recall to the squad after being left out of the matchday squad on Saturday, a decision Ferguson explained today.

"It was a tactical decision, and a very tough one to make,” Ferguson added. “I explained to Ryan my thinking which led to me having others on the bench. Romoney Crichlow was the defensive cover, Jonson Clarke-Harris has to be on there because we have no other striker like him, Malik Mothersille can cover all three forward positions, while Michael Olakigbe can play as a 10 or on either wing. In fact he’s played more on the left in his career than on the right. David Ajiboye can play as a wing-back if we change shape and then I went for Jeando Fuchs as my midfielder.

"Ryan was unlucky. I see him as a number 10, but he can also play right back or right wingback.”

The second semi-final between Bradford City and Wycombe Wanderers takes place on Wednesday (8pm). Both semi-finals are live on Sky Sports.