Peterborough United legend delivers a farewell goal in exciting EFL Trophy win over Fulham

Boyd completed the scoring with a rasping drive across the goalkeeper 14 minutes from time. It’s likely to be a farewell goal as Posh are hoping to move the transfer-listed veteran on before the window closes on October 16.

Mo Eisa, man-of-the-match Sammie Szmodics and teenager Flynn Clarke also netted in a dominant Posh performance. Darren Ferguson fielded a strong side and they were denied a bigger margin of victory by some fine goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.

Eisa’s 25th minute finish to open the scoring was however typically cool.

Boyd started the move with a classy piece of skill close to the Fulham area. He found right wingback Idris Kanu who burst into the area at pace before losing control of the ball. Luckily it ran to Eisa who passed it into the net.

Eisa could have ended up with a first half hat-trick. Two minutes after his goal he was unmarked in the penalty area when he received the ball courtesy of two excellent passes from Boyd and Szmodics.

Eisa casually rolled the ball past Fulham ‘keeper George Wickens, but the pace of his shot was too slow and a visiting defender raced back to clear.

And 10 minutes before the break a Szmodics run into the area was halted by Wickens. Eisa picked up the pieces, went around the goalkeeper and leathered a shot at goal only for Connor McAvoy to make a terrific block on the goalline.

Szmodics was impressive, as was Boyd, in the first period and the first-team regular’s clever dink at goal was well saved by Wickens. Reece Brown oozed class throughout the first-half and he shot just wide from the edge of the area.

Wickens also did well to save at the feet of Szmodics and Eisa in quick succession early in the game.

Fulham were a threat on the break and were twice denied the opening goal by Posh ‘keeper Dan Gyollai. Gyollai saved well with his feet after Fabio Carvalho had been sent clear and palmed a fierce shot from powerfully-built forward Jean-Pierre Tiehi over the bar.

Posh removed Eisa in favour of young Flynn Clarke at the break and there was a flurry of excitement at the start of the second-half with three goals, a piece of woodwork rattling and missed chances in the opening 15 minutes.

Jason Naismith smacked a cross against his own crossbar before Clarke was denied by Wickens after rushing through on goal.

The outstanding Szmodics made it 2-0 from the edge of the area on 49 minutes before Jayden Harris pulled a goal back for Fulham with the aid of a deflection three minutes later.

Two minutes after that Clarke was on hand to finish a left-wing cross and Posh threatened to run riot. Brown missed a one-on-one after a fine Boyd pass before Fulham closed the gap to one again with a volleyed finish from Tiehi in the 72nd minute.

But Posh always looked likely to score more goals and it was Boyd who claimed the first (and probably last) goal of this spell at London Road with a trademark left-foot strike across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner of the net 14 minutes from time.

There was still time for Gyollai to make two decent stops from close range and from distance, while Wickens also kept out Posh substitute Serhat Tasdemir (twice), Boyd and Harrison Burrows.

The win leaves Posh with five points from two group matches and one foot in the knockout stages. They complete their group matches at Cambridge United next month.

Related: How the match unfolded in real time.

Posh: Dan Gyollai, Niall Mason, Jason Naismith, Frazer Blake-Tracy, Reece Brown, Idris Kanu (sub Benjamin Mensah, 71 mins), Harrison Burrows, Ethan Hamilton, George Boyd, Sammie Szmodics (sub Serhat Tasdemir, 60 mins), Mo Eisa (sub Flynn Clarke, 46 mins).

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Ronnie Edwards, Kyle Barker, Luke Harris.

Fulham: George Wickens, Tyrese Francois, Fabio Carvalho, Jaydn Mundie-Smith, Jayden Harris, Ryan De Havilland (sub Adrian Pajesiti, 74 mins), Ben Davis, Jean-Pierre Tiehi, Luca Murphy, Connor McAvoy, Oliver O’Neill (sub Terry Ablade, 60 mins).

Unused subs: Damian Las, Terry Ablade, Mika Biereth.

Goals: Posh - Eisa (25 mins), Szmodics (49 mins), Clarke (56 mins), Boyd (76 mins).

Fulham - Harris (54 mins), Tiehi (72 mins).

Referee: Trevor Kettle