Peterborough United cantered to a first League One win in two months to move back into the play-off places

Posh strolled to a 2-0 victory over a poor MK Dons side with goals either side of half-time from Joe Ward and man-of-the-match Ricky-Jade Jones. That margin of victory and Wycombe’s defeat at Plymouth Argyle enabled Posh to move up to sixth, until Derby beat Cambridge United at Pride Park on Friday at least.

After a sluggish start to the game Posh should have won by more goals. A failure to convert a penalty from Jonson Clarke-Harris just past the hour mark was the most glaring of a fair few missed opportunities.

No matter though. Posh needed three points by any means how after a rough couple of months and there’s no doubt they were worthy winners as they completed a double over a team who have become fierce rivals over the years.

Posh made one change to the side that ended a four-game losing streak in League One by drawing at Charlton on Boxing Day. Jones, a scorer at stadium:mk earlier in the season, replaced Ephron Mason-Clark.

MK made two changes from their team that beat fellow strugglers Forest Green last time out. Former Posh record signing Mo Eisa was one of those to drop down to the substitutes’ bench.

Rookie goalkeeper Will Blackmore deservedly kept his place and predictably there was no spot in the squad for departing striker Jack Marriott.

Both sides fielded three centre-backs and wing-backs. MK passed the ball neatly in the early stages without managed to penetrate, while Posh started slowly before gradually picking up the pace.

Kwame Poku won a tackle and fashioned a shooting chance for himself after 19 minutes which was well blocked, but most Posh threat arrived from set-pieces with Frankie Kent heading badly wide just past the half hour when Ward landed a free kick in the perfect area.

Posh took the lead six minutes before the interval with Ward drilling home following a short pass from Poku. Poku then forced MK goalkeeper Jamie Cumming into a decent low save from 20 yards.

The sides reached half-time without MK having won a corner and without having forced Blackmore into a save.

That changed two minutes into the second-half when a weak Jack Taylor header was pounced upon by Tennai Watson whose 25 yard strike was well handled by Blackmore.

Taylor made amends immediately with a strong run forward from midfield and a precise pass which enabled Jones to run through and finish expertly for his second of the season – out of three League One goals in total – against these opponents.

MK made a triple substitution including an entrance for Eisa just before the hour mark and Posh promptly missed two golden chances to kill the game off.

First Jones fed Poku who was clear in the penalty area, but Cumming made a decent save and a minute later the on-loan Chelsea number one did even better to thwart Clarke-Harris from the penalty spot.

Clarke-Harris had won the spot-kick, or rather it had been handed to him by a senseless pull back by Zak Jules, but the skipper’s shot lacked its normal power and Cumming made the save to his left.

It never looked likely to matter though as MK were dreadful. Blackmore’s only moment of anxiety arrived in the 89th minute from a Dan Harvie snapshot, but he coped well enough.

In contrast Cumming was busy. Harrison Burrows forced a save with a dipping 20 yarder and then fired just over the bar from a smiliar distance.

Late substitute Ben Thompson then froze in front of goal after Posh had pressed high to force an injury-time error from Jules. He could have shot or he could have passed, but he didn’t commit to either and the chance was gone.

Perhaps Posh were saving goals for tougher tests to come, starting with the visit of Wycombe on New Year’s Day.

Posh: Will Blackmore, Harrison Burrows, Kell Watts, Ronnie Edwards, Frankie Kent, Joe Ward, Jeando Fuchs (sub Hector Kyprianou, 74 mins), Jack Taylor, Kwame Poku (sub Ben Thompson, 86 mins), Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Ephron Mason-Clark, 86 mins), Jonson Clarke-Harris

Unused subs: Lucas Bergstrom, Dan Butler, Josh Knight, Joe Taylor.

MK: Jamie Cumming, Tennai Watson (sub Henry Lawrence, 59 mins), Jack Tucker (sub Ethan Robson, 79 mins), Warren O’Hara, Josh McEachran (sub Bradley Johnson, 59 mins), Nathan Holland (sub Conor Grant, 46 mins), Louie Barry, Daniel Harvie, Dawson Devoy, Zak Jules, Will Grigg (sub Mo Eisa, 59 mins).

Unused subs: Franco Ravizzoli, Matt Smith.

Goals: Posh – Ward (39 mins), Jones (48 mins).

Cautions: Posh – Burrows (foul), Poku (delaying the restart), Jones (foul).

MK – Grigg (foul), Jules (foul).

Referee: David Rock 6.

Attendance: 8,391 (699 MK).