Peterborough United manager frustrated as a big chance to beat promotion favourites Fulham went begging

Posh matched a top-class, in-form side for long periods, but went down to a single goal 16 minutes from time from the country’s leading goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic.

But there were no ‘plucky’ platitudes for his side from Ferguson. He described the result as ‘rubbish’ and claimed ‘it’s the most disappointed I’ve felt all season.’

The defeat, and Cardiff’s late comeback win over Huddersfield, dropped Posh a place to 21st, but they remain three points clear of the relegation zone.

“The last I thing I wanted today was for people to say well done for the performance even though you lost,” Ferguson said. “It’s a rubbish result and the most disappointed I’ve felt all season. We shouldn’t have lost that game.

“Fulham are an outstanding side. They have quality all over the pitch, but we had four or five good opportunities to score and we didn’t take any of them.

“I felt going into the game we would give them problems and we did. We didn’t start great, but our shape was good, we pressed them at the right time and when we passed the ball well we created chances.

“We had an excellent spell in the last 15 minutes of the first half, but we didn’t take advantage. They came out better in the second half and we allowed too many crosses into the penalty area, but we still had moments ourselves.

“But you can’t give the top goalscorer in the entire country a free header from four yards out as he ain’t going to miss.”

Posh recalled Jonson Clarke-Harris to his starting line-up and reverted to a flat back four as teenager Ronnie Edwards was left on the substitutes’ bench. Joe Ward filled in for suspended right-back Nathan Thompson.

Clarke-Harris hit the woodwork twice and Fulham goalkeeper Marek Rodak made a couple of excellent saves.

“I felt if we played with wingbacks it would probably mean we ended up playing five at the back and I didn’t want that,” Ferguson added.

“Joe Ward did well. In fact when we passed with conviction and composure we looked a good side. We didn’t do it for long enough in the game though. Jonno was good in spells and created chances for himself.

“I was always going to needc to get a rest into Ronnie at some stage and I felt Mark Beevers and Frankie Kent would deal with the physicality of Mitrovic better and they did apart from one moment.”

Posh now have a two-week break before tough away games at fifth-placed Stoke City (November 20) and seventh-placed Blackburn Rovers (November 24).