Peterborough United bounce back to winning ways after a polished display which only lacked finishing power

It was a superb bounce back after the trauma of Good Friday and it was achieved by a return to the outstanding passing football that has served them so well this season. How they didn’t win by more goals is a question for those who coach decision-making anywhere near the opposition penalty area.

Indeed Posh were grateful home substitute Dan Agyei sent a close range free header from a corner over the bar in the final stages. It would have been a robbery had Posh not taken all three points and Fergie’s men would only have had themselves to blame.

But this is not a time for any negativity. Instead wonder at some of the passing angles Posh found even deep in their own half. Hector Kyprianou was superb on his return to Orient and Ronnie Edwards and Harrison Burrows weren’t far behind.

Kyprianou opened the scoring after a blunder from Orient ‘keeper Sol Brynn on nine minutes and Ephron Mason-Clark made it 2-0 on 26 minutes. Orient promised to make a game of it when Ethan Galbraith delivered a superb volleyed finish – we’ve seen a few of them over Easter – 25 minutes from time, but Posh stuck to their passing principles and saw the game out for a deserved win.

Posh made three changes to the starting line-up from the Good Friday debacle with Kyprianou, Ricky-Jade Jones and David Ajiboye replacing Ryan De Havilland, Malik Mothersille and Joel Randall. Kwame Poku lined up in the 10 role with Kyprianou back in central midfield to face the club who kindly sold him to Posh a couple of years ago..Orient included former Posh loanee George Moncur in their team as they looked to keep in touch with the race for the play-offs, which still remains the likely destination for Darren Ferguson’s side.

Posh started sluggishly against a keen home side who delivered some decent crosses from the left, usually from excellent left-back Jayden Sweeney. Referee Sunny Gill Singh waved away appeals for hand-ball against David Ajiboye from a long throw before Posh started to play.

The opening goal was a gift from the hands of Brynn who let a Harrison Burrows cross slip through his grasp with Kyprianou the grateful recipient.

But once Posh started to pass with their customary accuracy (Good Friday aside) they looked a class apart for the rest of the first-half. They really should have been more than two goals up at the break.

A terrific direct run from Ajiboye was followed by a precise cross that Jones miskicked with the goal at his mercy on 22 minutes, but four minutes later goal number two did arrive from a short corner which Ajiboye delivered to the far post. Josh Knight played the perfect header back across goal leaving Mason-Clark with the easiest of opportunities.

Posh dominated the rest of the half with Poku spoiling one superb run from Ronnie Edwards by failing to shoot, while Mason-Clark was denied a second goal by a decent low save and a defensive deflection which sent the ball past a post.

Posh ‘keeper Jed Steer was a spectator until saving a Galbraith volley on the stroke of half-time.

Orient responded to a poor 45 minutes by making three half-time substitutions and one of them, Ruel Sotiriou was soon dancing into the Posh penalty area before he was crowded out.

But the flow of the game barely altered. Jones muffed a superb Burrows cross which Kyprianou might have converted and Posh often had their hosts chasing shadows with their passing accuracy.

But Orient struck out the blue with Sweeney the inevitable supplier and POsh fans might have feared the worst when Jones ran through only to see Brynn make a save and Ajiboye make a hash of the rebound.

If home pressure was expected it didn’t really materialise apart from a couple of corner chances, the one Agyei messed up and one 10 minutes earlier which landed at the feet of Ollie O’Neill whose shot took a wicked deflection, but not a big enough one to stop Steer making an athletic change.

With the teams all around Posh winning it was a necessary three points and also kept some pressure on Derby County ahead of their big game at leaders Portsmouth on Tuesday.

Posh: Jed Steer, Harrison Burrows, Ronnie Edwards, Josh Knight, Jadel Katongo, Hector Kyprianou, Archie Collins, Ephron Mason-Clark (sub Jonson Clarke-Harris, 90 mins), Kwame Poku, David Ajiobye (sub Joel Randall, 69 mins), Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Malik Mothersille, 69 mins)..

Unused subs. Nicholas Bilokapic, Romoney Crichlow, Ryan De Havilland, Michael Olakigbe.

Orient: Sol Brynn, Tom James (sub Rob Hunt, 46 mins), Brandon Cooper, Omar Beckles, Jayden Sweeney, Jordan Brown, Shaq Forde (sub Ruel Sotiriou, 46 mins), Daniel Adu-Ajdjei (sub Joe Pigott, 46 mins), Ollie O'Neill (sub Dan Agyei, 83 mins), Ethan Galbraith, George Moncur (sub Max Sanders, 57 mins).

Unused subs: Sam Howes, Khayon Edwards

GOALS: Posh – Kyprianou (9 mins), Mason-Clark (26 mins).

Orient – Galbraith (67 mins).

CAUTIONS: Orient – Sotoriou (foul).

REFEREE: Sunny Gill Singh 7

ATTENDANCE: 8,658 (1,200 Posh).