Peterborough United still learning about new striker Clarke-Harris

The former Bristol Rovers front man has made three starts for Posh this season, but has yet to find the target as he gets used to his new team-mates, and they get used to him.

Replacing a player like Ivan Toney was never going to be an easy task, but Ferguson has been pleased with the progress and impact of Clarke-Harris, and feels he is beginning to show what he is capable of.

After a quiet start in last weekend's 2-1 win over Fleetwood Town at the Weston Homes Stadium, Clarke-Harris became much more involved.

And in the dying minutes he teed up Jack Taylor for his equalising strike, and then provided the nuisance value to ensure the ball dropped to Sam Szmodics for his last-gasp winner.

"I thought Jonno was very good in the second half, he occupied the centre-halves," said Ferguson.

"We got the ball to him with diagonals which is something we spoke about at half-time because we didn't do enough of it in the first half."

And he added: "We still have to get the balance right between when we play out and build things up, and then when we go in to Jonno because he is a threat, as long as it is quality balls into him.

"I am not talking about lumping it up to him, that is a waste of time, but I thought our quality into him was good, it got us up the pitch because he won things.

"It meant we could get the ball to the players we wanted to in the last third."

One of those players who was able to get on the ball and influence proceedings was Siriki Dembele.

The diminutive front man missed the opening day defeat at Accrington after he was diagnosed with Covid-19, and he was only able to start on the bench against Fleetwood having only returned to training last midweek.

But with Posh struggling to make any attacking headway, Dembele replaced Mo Eisa at the half-time break and his influence in the second half was key, as Posh started to enjoy more possession, and at least put Fleetwood on the back foot.

"Siriki had the virus and the decision I had to make, was do I chance him from the start or do I bring him on?," said Posh boss Ferguson.

"It was hard for Mo and he is obviously disappointed, but Dembele is a different player to anyone we have got in the team.

"He can get you up the pitch with his pace, his dribbling skills, and he picked up the areas I wanted him to in the second half, in between people.

"That allowed our wing-backs to get further up the pitch, it allowed the flat back three up the pitch, and then when we shifted him wide he gave us that flexibility to play with two wingers."