Peterborough United speed past Spurs to progress in the EFL Trophy

A 3-1 come-from-behind win over Spurs at the Weston Homes Stadium on Tuesday has effectively sealed progress unless there’s a calamity for Posh at Colchester next month.

A first senior goal for Emmanuel Fernandez, a Ricky-Jade Jones strike and a classy Kwame Poku effort delivered the win for Posh after the visitors had opened the scoring with a header from £13 million forward Alejo Veliz.

Malik Mothersille enjoyed a steady first Posh appearance and there was another debutant late on when attacking midfielder Donay O’Brien-Brady joined the fray.

It wasn’t the complete overhaul of the Posh starting line-up hinted at by manager Darren Ferguson. Four players – Jadel Katongo, David Ajiboye, Jones and Harrison Burrows were retained from the thrilling win at Blackpool on Saturday.

There were rare appearances on the bench for O’Brien-Brady and Will Van Lier with Jonson Clarke-Harris and Hector Kyprianou among those given the night off.

Posh lined up with wing-backs in Ajiboye and Zak Sturge and three central defenders with Fernandez and Romoney Crichlow either side of Katongo.

Mothersille and Jones were the front two, a partnership with explosive pace.

But it was Ajiboye who showed the first impressive turn of speed. He raced past his marker into the penalty and pulled the ball back to Sturge who sadly couldn’t sort his feet out and the chance disappeared.

Spurs enjoyed plenty of possession, but relied on Posh ‘keeper Fynn Talley for their early opportunities. One poor decision to race out of his area and head the ball should have been punished by Jamie Donley, but his attempt at goal was feeble.

Talley was soon giving the ball away again, with his foot this time, but an errant pass ruined that moment for Spurs.

But the visitors struck on 24 minutes when Donley escaped down the left and delivered the perfect chip for Veliz to head home from six yards. It was a clinical finish as it should have been from a man who has appeared in Premier League games this season.

The lead lasted seven minutes with Fernandez enjoying a red letter moment when heading home a precise corner from Burrows and he won’t care he scored it unchallenged a foot from goal.

Fernandez, confidence now high, was next seen charging down the right wing, where Posh had looked most threatening, but his fine-looking low cross was well intercepted and diverted behind for a corner.

Spurs goalkeeper Josh Keeley then got away with a handball outside his area after Mothersille had beaten him to a through ball.

It had been a quiet half for Mothersille despite plenty of honest endeavour.

Posh made a half-time substitution with Poku replacing Ajiboye, who may have been suffering the after effects of stopping a fierce Joel Randall volley with his face.

Spurs were first to threaten after the break as Ashley Phillips forced Talley into a save from a corner.

Talley then presented Donley with a great chance to score by passing straight to him 12 yards from goal, but he redeemed himself by making a fine save. and within two minutes Posh were in front, following a poor piece of goalkeeping at the other end.

It was a sweet piece of play from Poku down the right who skipped past his man before picking out Jones. His first-time shot was reasonably well struck, but it really should have been saved by Josh Keeley who instead helped the ball into the net.

Spurs responded with a couple of incursions into the Posh penalty area, but Fernandez got his long legs to the ball to save the day on both occasions.

Poku and Burrows then messed up to give Donley another chance, but he shot horribly wide.

And Poku then showed the Premier League kids how to finish on 68 minutes. Crichlow burst out from the back, slipped the ball to Joel Randall, who passed it on to Poku. A jink onto his left foot was followed by a superb 20-yard strike into the top corner.

Mothersille’s evening was soon over as cramp set in. He showed glimpses of pace and some good touches, but a sight of goal never arrived.

O’Brien-Brady almost created a goal with his first touch, a cross which Jones headed goalwards, but Keeley saved.

Posh cruised through the rest of the contest with substitute Ephron Mason-Clark seeing a shot in added time cleared off the line.

Posh: Fynn Talley, Zak Sturge, Jadel Katongo, Emmanuel Fernandez, Romoney Crichlow, David Ajiboye (sub Kwame Poku 46 mins), Harrison Burrows (sub James Dornelly, 73 mins), Joel Randall (sub Donay O’Brien-Brady 83 mins), Ryan De Havilland, Ricky-Jade Jones, Malik Mothersille (sub Ephron Mason-Clark, 73 mins).

Unused subs: Nicholas Bilokapic, Will Van Lier, Kai Corbett.

Spurs: Josh Keeley, Ashley Phillips, Alejo Veliz, Nile John (sub Rio Kyerematen, 76 mins), Brooklyn Lyons-Foster (sub Dante Cassanova, 88 mins), George Abbott (sub Tyrell Ashcroft, 88 mins), Charlie Sayers, Yago Alonso, Jamie Donley, Alfie Dorrington, Jude Soonsup-Bell (sub Will Lanksheer, 70 mins).

Unused subs: Luca Gunter, Max Robson, Max McKnight,

Goals: Posh – Fernandez (31 mins), Jones (53 mins), Poku (68 mins).

Spurs – Veliz (24 mins).

Referee: Carl Brook 6.

Attendance: 2,094.