Peterborough United manager insists beating Charlton is the best win of the season so far

Two goals in the final quarter of the game from Sammie Szmodics secured a come-from-behind 2-1 win over promotion rivals Charlton Athletic at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Charlton had taken the lead through a penalty from former Posh striker Conor Washington. Posh improved once Ferguson had changed the team’s shape on the hour mark.

It was at times a brutal, weakly refereed contest, but fifth-placed Posh are now within three points of top spot after claming an eighth win in 10 home matches this season.

“The manner of the win made it the best win of the season,” Ferguson, who was one of three Posh men cautioned for dissent by referee Sam Purkiss, insisted. “We had to dig really deep and show some real mental toughness to beat an experienced team who make life very difficult for you. They wanted to make the game a scrap.

“It was a very scrappy game and we conceded a sloppy goal. We needed to revert to Plan B before we started to create anything and the players carried out the instructions magnificently.

“I told them at half-time it wasn’t about playing pretty football it was about winning and the character they showed to come back and win was outstanding, from all of them. It was a fantastic performance.

“We needed more width and we needed to pass the ball quicker. We were too ponderous.

“The centre-halves headed everything away and the goals were superbly created and talen. Jonson Clarke-Harris showed off his strength by getting between two centre-halves and setting Sammie away and his pass for Sammie’s second goal was just outstanding.

“A couple of weeks ago you might not have fancied Sammie to score, but now you don’t expect him to miss. They were two great finishes and he missed an easier chance for his hat-trick!

“But mental toughness won us that game. It felt like a really big win.”