Peterborough United sink to a new low as bottom club win comfortably at London Road

Doncaster Rovers played like a team who hadn’t won a game all season and yet won, comfortably in the end, 2-0 with a goal in each half at the Weston Homes Stadium.

So much for the all out attacking promise. Posh did manage 14 shots at goal, but none of them were on target, and many were from outside the area. They were bullied and outfought by a team who started the day bottom of the table and stretched gamesmanship to the limits in front of a pliable referee. It’s four goals in seven League One matches for the team who were widely recognised as ‘the Entertainers’ not so long ago.

Manager Luke Williams dashed down the tunnel at the final whistle as the boos rang out. There has to be a chance this was his last game in charge. This run of form and this level of performance can’t be blamed entirely on the injuries suffered by centre-backs.

Posh retained an ambitious/ballsy/risky (delete as appropriate) 4-2-4 formation with Bolu Shofowoke on the wings and Liam Kelly and Harrison Jones entrusted to get enough midfield possession to make it work.

There was a welcome return for right-back Carl Johnston, but no squad place for midfielder Brandon Khela who is injured.

Rumoured Posh transfer target Tommi O’Reilly was on the substitutes’ bench for Rovers as was Bayley McCann, son of the manager and a former Posh youth team player.

Posh started okay. They won multiple corners and might have been awarded a penalty from one of them, but midfield was often bypassed and Posh then didn’t pick up any second balls. Out wide Bolu Shofowoke and Owura Edwards had one decent run apiece without finding the right cross before the visitors struck from one of their first attacks on 16 minutes.

The ball in between David Okagbue and Harley Mills was simple, the run and cross from wing-back Leon Ayinde was allowed to travel as far as Alfie May who had no trouble continuing his excellent scoring record on this ground.

And that was pretty much that. Doncaster only threatened again when Okagbue’s stray pass set May advancing towards goal. Posh only generated any excitement when Shofowoke left three players for dead three minutes before the break and found Edwards at the far post, but the chance was thwarted by a defensive block.

Posh dominated a lot of the second half, but created nothing. The ball wouldn’t bounce for them in the penalty area, but that’s as much down to slow reactions as it is to misfortune.

Harry Leonard’s promptings were fairly impressive, but Owura Edwards struggled as did Danny Ormerod. There wasn’t a midfielder on the pitch capable of a decisive pass.

Edwards wasted a great attacking position after Leonard excellence with a poor pass that was intercepted. Otherwise it was a succession of shots that sailed over the crossbar.

Ben Woods (twice) and Harry Ashfield were the culprits and Posh made substitutions that made them even worse.

Johnston had been one of the livelier Posh players, but he was the last man to leave, and immediately the visitors exposed the gap he’d left behind to add a second goal in the final minutes. Substitutes Jordan Thomas and Isaac Hutchinson combined for the latter to slide home from close range.

Alex Bass then made a fine save to deny a third visiting goal.

Doncaster fans celebrated wildly as did manager Grant McCann as Posh supporters cleared their throats to let their feelings known at the end.

Posh: Alex Bass, Carl Johnston (sub Chris Conn-Clarke, 86 mins), Harley Mills, Josh Feeney, David Okagbue, Liam Kelly (sub Ben Woods, 65 mins), Harrison Jones (sub Harry Ashfield, 65 mins), Bolu Shofowoke, Owura Edwards (sub Ethan Williams, 76 mins), Harry Leonard, Danny Ormerod.

Unused substitutes: Collin Andeng Ndi, Lucca Mendonca, Evan Weir.

Doncaster: Tommy Simkin, James Husband, Leon Ayinde (sub Tommi O’Reilly, 72 mins), Sean Grehan, Neill Byrne, Robbie Gotts, Jack Senior, George Broadbent, Owen Bailey, Brandon Hanlan (sub Isaac Hutchinson, 84 mins), Alfie May (sub Jordan Thomas, 63 mins).

Unused substitutes: Josh Clarke, Jay McGrath, Darren Robinson, Bayley McCann.

Doncaster goals: May (16 mins), Hutchinson (89 mins).

Posh cautions: Feeney (foul), Leonard (foul).

Doncaster cautions: Gotts (unsportsmanlike conduct),

Referee: William Davis 5.

Attendance: 7,535 (1,107 Doncaster).