Peterborough United midfielder has an eye on the top six now that momentum has arrived at the perfect time

Posh won 1-0 at bottom League One club Port Vale on Saturday, a third straight success which lifted them up to 16th in the table. Top scorer Harry Leonard struck the only goal seven minutes from time.

Woods admits to having one eye on the play-off places, but he insists that won’t affect the team’s focus as they approach a run of four games in 10 days over the festive season.

Posh host Leyton Orient on Boxing Day (3pm kick off) before entertaining Reading on Monday, January 29 (7.45pm) and travelling to Rotherham United on New Year’s Day (3pm). A tough trip to second-placed Lincoln City on Sunday, January 4 (noon) then follows.

"It was a good performance at Port Vale,” Woods told the Posh Plus service. “It’s three wins on the spin and we are building momentum at the right time of the year. The Christmas period offers a great opportunity to leapfrog teams if we can keep winning. If that happens we can start looking at the other end of the table. I have one eye on the top six, but we will keep taking things one game at a time.

“When you get into games like yesterday it’s just a case of getting three points any way you can. It’s a hostile place and the pitch, which is one of the widest in the league, was cutting up. That’s a challenge rather than an excuse as it was the same for both sides.

"The first 20 minutes were really hectic and you’re just hoping to get through it without conceding. They made it a battle and we did battle, while playing when we could play. We weathered the storm and our quality showed in the end.

"I was confident Harry would score. He’s a quality finisher, something we see in training every day, and the fans are seeing on matchday. I was surprised he didn’t score in the first half, but of he keeps getting chances he will score. On such a wide pitch it was great to have wingers with pace and dribbling skill. We could take a touch in midfield and get the ball out to them. Kyrell Lisbie was a threat all game and all the subs who came on were brilliant.

"There were a few battered and bruised bodies after the game, but we will recover and be ready for Boxing Day.”

Cian Hayes, Gustav Lindgren, Carl Johnston and Tom O’Connor were the four Posh subs used during the game at Vale.