Peterborough United’s high intensity took Rochdale by surprise

Posh were 4-1 up at the break thanks to a Jonson Clarke-Harris hat-trick and a header from Nathan Thompson, There was no further scoring in the second-half as Dale were heavily beaten for the second season in a row at London Road. Last season Ivan Toney bagged a hat-trick in a 6-0 Posh win.

“We actually played okay in that game,” Barry-Murphy insisted. “But today we didn’t control what we could contol very well at all.

“Peterborough’s intensity in the first-half took us by surprise, but it shouldn’t have done as we knew how dangerous they can be and how they can put you under so much pressure.

“We don’t hide from the fact we are on a different playing field to them financially, but we were confident we could take them on.

“Instead we played with no personality in the first-half. We weren’t aggressive enough. We were better in the second-half, but that didn’t tell me much as Peterborough took their foot off the gas.

“That first half wasn’t a good reflection on us. We can compete better than that.”

Dale have won just one of their last eight League One fixtures and have slipped to 20th in the table.