Peterborough United deliver an outstanding attacking display to make amends for Saturday's debacle

Just how virtually the same set of players can follow such a poor performance with one of tremendous attacking quality is a question to tax the most gifted of coaches, or even excessively remunerated Match of the Day pundits.

After a sluggish start Posh were quite brilliant at times. Sure they took chances at the back and rode their luck at times, but this was Fergie ‘let’s score more than them’ football at its best.

Jonson Clarke-Harris scored twice to pass 20 League One goals for the season and his fellow members of a fab attacking four, Ephron Mason-Clark, Joe Ward and Harrison Burrows, also capped fine individual performances with goals with superb passing moves the order of the day.

As promised, there was no overreaction to Saturday's horror show at home as Posh boss Darren Ferguson made just two changes with Nathan Thompson and Oliver Norburn, who played for over an hour apiece at the weekend anyway, started with Kwame Poku dropping to the bench. Hector Kyprianou missed out because of injury which led to a recall as a substitute for Jeando Fuchs.

Burton, who had one point after the first eight games of the season, have picked up considerably since then. They used the January transfer window well and last time out beat another play-off contender Wycombe Wanderers at this stadium.

Ferguson predicted an aerial onslaught from the home side which didn’t happen.

Few would have predicted the attacking extravaganza that did develop in the first 45 minutes.

It could have been 6-3 to Posh at the break rather than 3-1.

Burton started with a ferocious press which troubled Posh who struggled to get out in the opening 10 minutes. Posh ‘keeper Will Norris had to get down well to hold Matt Helm’s shot and the number one went further to erase the memory of his Saturday sloppiness to thwart Dale Taylor. Taylor then took advantage of a mix-up between Ronnie Edwards and Norris, but headed wide.

Posh promptly scored from pretty much their first attack. They had left wide men Ward and Mason-Clark high from kick off and on the first occasion the latter was fed the ball he stole away to deliver a precise cross which Clarke-Harris headed home for his 20th League One goal of the campaign.

Jack Taylor’s 20-yard strike was then well blocked after a Burrows lay off before Posh struck again on 20 minutes. Ward was the architecht this time with a fine low cross which home defender Ben Hamer intercepted, but only into the path of Mason-Clarke who tapped home.

Awful carelessness from Nathaneal Ogbeta gave Burton an immediate chance of a response, but Norris again came to the rescue to deny Joe Powell, but Powell gained his revenge in the 28th minute with a low drilled shot from 22 yards after a quickly taken free kick, but Posh soon re-asserted control

Mason-Clark escaped again to force home goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray into a save and there was a great defensive block to thwart Burrows after some more excellence from Mason-Clark.

But Posh did restore their two-goal lead following a superb 39th-minute move.

Clarke-Harris started it with a neat touch and pass, Mason-Clark then made the major contribution with a brilliant outside of the foot pass which found Ward through on goal.

MacGillivray made a good stop initially, but the rebound favoured Ward who pulled the ball back to give Burrows, who scored his first League goal on this ground, an easy finish.

And Posh should have eased further ahead before the break as a lovely corner routine led to a close-range opportunity for Frankie Kent from a Ward pass which was saved and Mason-Clark failed from six yards, although the strong cross from Ogbeta did him no favours.

Burton made three substitutions at the break which delivered greater mobility to their forward line.

And the action didn’t stop.

Another outstanding move involving Taylor, Burrows and Mason-Clark enabled Ogbeta to this time find the perfect cross for Clarke-Harris to convert from close range in the 51st minute.

Back came Burton and after Norris punched a delivery from a 58th minute corner that needed catching substitute Jonny Smith scored from close range after Burton had been foiled first by Norris and then by a post

Within a couple of minutes Ward reached one of many headed flicks from Clarke-Harris and poked the ball past MacGillivray only for John Brayford to clear off the line. Clarke-Harris went in pursuit of his hat-trick from a free kick, but his well-struck shot was blocked.

Norris then dived full-length to keep out a precise Powell free-kick before Posh finally wrapped the points up. Taylor’s excellent cross-field ball found Ward and he jinked inside his full-back and scored with a low left foot drive off the inside of a post.

There was still 25 minutes to go and time for Mason-Clark to volley over a decent Taylor cross and Norris to handle another dangerous Powell free-kick impeccably.

It was eventually a rout that suggests Posh still have a chance of the top six, but then we’ve been here before this season.

It’s anyone’s guess what will happen at Lincoln City on Saturday.

Posh: Will Norris, Nathanael Ogbeta, Ronnie Edwards, Frankie Kent, Nathan Thompson, Joe Ward (sub Kwame Poku, 78 mins), Jack Taylor, Oliver Norburn (sub Jeando Fuchs, 69 mins), Ephron Mason-Clark, Harrison Burrows (sub Ben Thompson, 83 mins), Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Dan Butler, Joel Randall, Kabongo Tshimanga.

Burton: Craig MacGillvray, John Brayford (sub Conor Shaugnessly, 75 mins), Sam Hughes, Joe Powell, Dale Taylor, Jasper Moon, Mark Helm, Gassan Ahadme (sub Josh Walker, 46 mins), Ciaran Giligan, Tom Hamer, Zac Ashworth (sub Jonny Smith, 46 mins).

Unused subs: Ben Garratt, Mustapha Carayol, Michael Mancienne

Goals: Posh – Clarke-Harris (12 mins & 51 mins). Mason-Clark (20 mins), Burrows (39 mins), Ward (65 mins).

Burton – Powell (28 mins), Smith (55 mins).

Cautions: Burton – Hughes (foul).

Referee: Craig Hicks 8.

Attendance: 2,383.