Peterborough United crumbled on the road again after a shocking show at both ends of the pitch

Posh made horrible blunders at both ends of the pitch to lose for the ninth time in their last 11 League One away games. They haven’t won any of them and they won’t win on any of the remaining trips either if they continue to perform like this.

A 500k striker missed an absolute sitter early in the game which was quickly followed by a hopeless defence of a corner which led to Rovers taking the lead. The hosts added two more goals in the second half with Posh managing a reply in the final minute. In between the goals Posh were muscled off the ball far too often and far too easily. Posh boss Darren Ferguson didn’t go far enough when labelling his side ‘soft’ after the last away outing.

It was all too much for one frustrated Posh fan who was seen arguing with Chris Conn-Clarke on the final whistle. Posh took over 400 supporters to the game on a Sunday afternoon and treated them shabbily with their performance which of course doesn’t excuse confrontations that do no-one any favours.

Posh named an unchanged side, one that celebrated a rare League One win last time out, although fit-again Jadel Katongo replaced James Dornelly on the substitutes’ bench. Centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez was absent because of concussion protocols rather than an imminent departure to Norwich City.

Rovers gave a debut to new midfielder Matt Butcher for a game between League One’s lowest scoring attack and the team with the worst defensive record.

In truth both teams lived up to their billing in the first-half as Posh creaked and crumbled every time a home attack was launched. They somehow managed to concede only once though as a whipped corner was bundled home from close range by centre-back James Wilson under very little pressure.

Rovers had threatened twice in the opening three minutes with Tayo Odun coming to the rescue of his centre-backs before Isaac Hutchinson failed to beat Nicholas Bilokapic from close range.

Before the goal Posh delivered a miss of the season contender as Rovers left-back Lino Sousa passed the ball straight to Gustav Lindgren, a £500k striker don’t forget, who had all the time he required to beat Josh Griffiths in the Rovers goal, but screwed his shot wide.

The home defence looked far from watertight, but a complete lack of quality stopped Posh creating much. Abraham Odoh fired over, Chris Conn-Clarke shot wide, Archie Collins saw a shot blocked and Ricky-Jade Jones sent a tame shot straight at Griffiths. Indeed the best Posh chance of an equaliser arrived from a fine Edun cross that Sousa deflected behind his own goal. Edun also set up a half chance for Conn-Clarke, but again the shot lacked the power to trouble Griffiths.

Rovers almost scored from a second set-piece as Bilokapic decided to punch rather than make an easy catch and was fortunate the ball flew over his net rather than into his goal.

Malik Mothersille and Cian Hayes were sent on at half-time for Lindgren and Odoh which meant a shift to centre-forward for Jones. Mothersille almost made an instant impact with a low shot that Griffiths fumbled before the ball was cleared.

Hayes enjoyed a couple of decent runs without delivering an end product, but it was a short-lived effort from side that still appear completelt unsuited to a relegation scrap.

Rovers added a second goal through Isaac Hutchinson who was allowed to drift unmarked between two right-sided Posh defenders in the 63rd minute. Bilokapic then denied the same player a second goal with a fine stop after some weak defending, but a third goal arrived seven minutes from time, on the breakaway from Ruel Sotoriou and it was hard to argue with the final scoreline even though the last home goal came straight after the most sustained spell of pressure Posh managed.

Hayes had seen a shot deflected just over the crossbar, Conn-Clarke’s terrific volley was tipped over the bar by Griffiths and a neat cross was almost turned into his own net by Wilson, but Sotoriou’s fine goal rendered a late backheeled finish from Jones following a Mothersille cross irrelevant.

A lack of quality at one end and a lack of physicality and organisation at the other end is a recipe for disaster.

Posh: Nicholas Bilokapic, Tayo Edun, George Nevett (sub Jadel Kotongo, 76 mins), Sam Hughes, Carl Johnston, Mahamadou Susoho (sub Hector Kyprianou, 64 mins), Archie Collins (sub Ryan De Havilland, 71 mins) Abraham Odoh (sub Cian Hayes, 46 mins), Chris Conn-Clarke, Ricky-Jade Jones, Gustav Lindgren (sub Malik Mothersille, 46 mins).

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Oscar Wallin.

Rovers: Josh Griffiths, Jack Hunt (sub Joel Senior, 84 mins), James Wilson, Connor Taylor, Luke Thomas (sub Scott Sinclair, 73 mins), Lino Sousa, Isaac Hutchinson, Matt Butcher (sub Romaine Sawyers, 84 mins), Grant Ward, Ruel Sotiriou, Gatlin O’Donkor (sub Martin, 38 mins).

Unused subs: Matthew Hall, Taylor Moore, Clinton Mola.

Goals: Posh – Jones (90 mins).

Rovers – Wilson (17 mins), Hutchinson (63 mins), Sotiriou (83 mins).

Cautions: Posh – Nevett (foul), Susoho (foul), Bilokapic (dissent).

Rovers – Thomas (foul), Hutchinson (dissent).

Referee: Ruebyn Ricardo 7.

Attendance: 7,461 (approx 450 Posh).