Peterborough United did it on a cold, wet Tuesday night in Accrington when someone played like Franz Beckenbauer, another benefitted from a returning teammate, an impressive clean sheet record, away improvement still required, why playing the most games could be an advantage and here’s hoping for a quiet end to the transfer window!

Winning games like this are crucial to a promotion bid so it’s another tick for a Posh team who have been reconstructed and revitalised in three matches and eight days.

Posh have shot up the table from 10th to fourth in that short space of time. They go third if they win at Ipswich Town on Saturday (February 1).

All good then? Well, yes indeed. Posh remain vulnerable to teams below them with games in hand, but those above them have played a similar number and Posh are just four points off top spot.

Talking points from last night’s (January 28) 2-0 win at Accrington...

1) Hopefully the three remaining days of an open transfer window will be quiet for Posh, apart from the departure of Marcus Maddison.

Chairman Darragh MacAnthony’s post-match comments about Ivan Toney’s future were encouraging, but he, the manager, the team and definitely the fans will still be nervous about a size of bid even promotion-seeking club owners would find hard to turn down.

One assumes a replacement is in hand if the unthinkable happens, but it’s not too strong a claim to suggest if Toney departs even a play-off place is unlikely.

2) Posh certainly don’t need any more new players. The three January newcomers have hit the ground running and have helped, along with a formation change of course, the Posh surge up the table.

Sammie Szmodics has quickly erased Maddison from the thoughts of many, while Jack Taylor is a beast of an all-round midfielder and Reece Brown is silky smooth.

Manager Darren Ferguson used his press conference last night to state a determination to keep those who can’t get into the side currently happy. Louis Reed was Posh’s best player in the two matches prior to Christmas and now can’t get into the matchday squad. Things change quickly in football and those currently not starting need to stay positive and ready to play.

Posh have a strong bench now and last night’s subs Niall Mason, Rhys Bennett, Ricky-Jade Jones, Mo Eisa, Josh Knight and George Boyd have all done well as starters at times this season.

3) How good was Frankie Kent last night? After an early blunder which led to Christy Pym making his one save of the night it was like watching German great Franz Beckenbauer bringing the ball out of defence, but he also played strongly defensively.

4) Posh have now kept 12 League One clean sheets, the most in the division alongside Oxford, Ipswich and Wycombe, although they have all played fewer games.

With captain Mark Beevers so much more comfortable in the centre of a back three, and goalkeeper Pym playing with great confidence, expect that number to rise quickly.

5) Ending an away hoodoo stretching back to October 19 was a positive, but overall Posh form on their travels remains poor with four wins and seven defeats from 15 trips. Posh have a negative goal difference of minus two in away games so improvement is still needed and there are some tough trips to come to Ipswich, Fleetwood, Burton, Coventry and Sunderland.

6) I wonder if Joe Ward’s improved defensive work is connected to the return of Nathan Thompson to the starting line-up?

Thompson is an experiened, savvy pro and a good talker.

7) Good strikers turn draws into wins and defeats into draws. Coventry would be well clear at the top in my opinion with a prolific forward. They’ve only lost three of 26 League One matches this season, but 12 draws are keeping them out of the top two.

8) League One remains bonkers. Portsmouth, my pre-season tip for the title, have crept up to sixth now, just six points off the top with two games in hand. All six possible promotion places are up for grabs, but the fact that Posh have played more games than most could work in their favour.

Posh have just one scheduled midweek fixture remaining - a gimme at home to Southend - and freshness could be vital in a hectic run-in. Some of the promotion contenders have small squads and are still in cup competitions.

Pompey are in two.