Peterborough United were poor in a 0-0 draw, but they suffered a huge miscarriage of justice at the hands of hopeless officials

Peterborough United were poor playing 11 v 11. After a scintillating Saturday show they delivered torpor on a Tuesday for 55 minutes.

Of course they might have improved enough to have won, but any chance of that disappeared with one disgraceful piece of officiating from referee Andrew Kitchen and his crew.

Jack Taylor’s yellow card was justified for a 54th minute trip on Jesuran Rak-Sakyi as was Josh Knight’s red card for kicking out at the Charlton man.

And yet somehow four officials missed Crystal Palace loanee Rak-Saki charge at Knight and punch him. Actually they didn’t miss it as second-year referee Kitchen issued a yellow card. It was staggering stuff even by the low standards of this campaign.

It did rouse Posh into a more competitive frame of mind, but they couldn’t create and were grateful in the end they were playing a side with little attacking clue themselves.

Posh made one change to the starting line-up that thumped Plymouth Argyle last time out, which was one more than many predicted.

Nathan Thompson returned to start at right-back with Joe Ward pushed further forward and Kwame Poku switching inside leaving Harrison Burrows, a scorer against the Pilgrims, to drop down to the substitutes’ bench.

If Posh fans and the manager were expecting their team to carry on from where they left off on Saturday they soon suffered a rude awakening.

Darren Ferguson called for aggression and front foot football before the game and got neither in a poor first half.

Indeed Charlton were by far the more controlled and positive side, but suffered from poor final balls.

A second minute free kick led to a snapshot just wide from Sean Clare and Lucas Ness headed a corner just over the bar.

Posh were pedestrian, sloppy and seemed to lack energy, a bit of a worry with so many games in succession coming up.

And they came closest to scoring in the first-half when Jonson Clarke-Harris powered a downward header goalwards from an Ephron Mason-Clark cross, but Charlton ‘keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer made a fine save.

The second-half started in the same way with Posh laboured and slipshod. Jack Payne fired wide when well-placed and then the most hopeless piece of officiating occured.Charlton, who were the better side anyway, predictably tried to turn the screw. George Dobson volleyed over and Ronnie Edwards made a fine defensive block.

Posh tried to stay positive. Ricky-Jade Jones was sent on to offer a counter-attacking threat, but limped off before the end. There was finally some aggression, but the few times the ball entered the visiting area it wouldn’t fall kindly.

One lung-busting run in added time from Jack Taylor ended with the midfielder too tired to get any power in his shot and Maynard-Brewer saved easily.

Posh did move up a place to eighth, but that was of little consolation, especially as it’s leaders Sheffield Wednesday away next up on Saturday.

Posh: Will Norris, Nathanael Ogbeta, Josh Knight, Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Thompson, Jack Taylor, Hector Kyprianou (sub Oliver Norburn, 66 mins), Ephron Mason-Clark, Kwame Poku (sub Ricky-Jade Jones, 66 mins, sub Harrison Burrows, 90 + 5 mins), Joe Ward (sub Frankie Kent, 58 mins), Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Ben Thompson, Kabongo Tshimanga.

Charlton: Ashley Maynard-Brewer, Michael Hector (sub Corey Blackett-Taylor, 66 mins), Ryan Inniss, Lucas Ness, Sean Clare, George Dobson (sub Aaron Henry, 90 mins), Jack Payne, Scott Fraser (sub Miles Leaburn, 77 mins), Steven Sessegnon (sub Matt Penney, 77 mins), Jesurun Rak-Sakyi, Macaulay Bonne.

Unused subs: Joe Wollacoot, Albie Morgan, Gavin Kilkenny.

Sending-off: Posh – Knight (violent conduct),

Cautions: Posh – Taylor (foul).

Charlton – Rak-Sakyi (adopting an aggressive attitude), Dobson (foul).

Referee: Andrew Kitchen 4.

Attendancel 8,219,