Peterborough United's need to improve the 'Three Rs', but this is still an outstanding football team blighted by one puzzling paradox

But I’m not sure Peterborough United learnt anything they didn’t already know from Saturday’s 3-2 League One home defeat against Wigan Athletic.

They would already have known they have to improve the three ‘R’s’ (the finishing of Randall and Ricky, plus the Right-back situation) if they are to get to where they want to be.

And how those issues were exposed in this game. Joel Randall and Ricky-Jade Jones have positive attributes, but converting presentable scoring chances on a regular basis is not among them. The pair were the biggest culprits in this game with shots, and in Jones’ case one header, that invariably went high or wide or both.

Posh had a ridiculous 25 shots in this game and yet I can remember just two saves from highly-rated visiting goalkeeper Sam Tickle. An unpredictable playing surface doesn’t help, but nor does a horrible lack of composure which leads to first-time, hit-and-hope thrashes at the ball.

Jones did eventually score, and credit to him for continuing to run hard on a tough day, but that left Posh with just 90 seconds to find an equaliser. Wigan had taken a three-goal lead with two of them coming from the right-hand side of the Posh defence, the second one after Jadel Katongo had been moved from right back into a central defensive position.

OTHER TALKING POINTS FROM POSH 2, WIGAN 3...

1) Ephron Mason-Clark was also guilty of some poor work on his regular forays into the Wigan area, but at least he buried the suggestion he might coast through the rest of the season now he’s won a move to the Championship, or even the Premier League, with Coventry City. Mason-Clark’s workrate, attitude and effort against physical opponents were all exemplary. Only those who try to see the bad in everything – and sadly there are too many of them – would have believed it would have gone any other way from a player who has to cope with two, sometimes three defenders, when he’s in possession and they are all intent on keeping him off his right foot.

2) It’s a lovely idea that a club averaging 9k home gates can hang on to quality players ad infinitum, but it’s not a realistic one. The summer could be interesting though as the downside of playing such eye-catching, high-quality football is the attention it brings from bigger and better clubs. Posh need to get up this season to make it easier to hang on to the likes of hector Kyprianou, Kwame Poku and even Ronnie Edwards. Otherwise Fergie will be asked to rebuild another team and he might not fancy that.

3) Mind you Kyprianou has gone off the boil a bit lately. He was caught in possession too often yesterday and gave the ball away as a consequence. He also picked up his ninth caution of the League One season and one more means a two-game ban. The amnesty for 10 yellows comes after 37 games so the Cyprus international has to be clean for another eight. Jeando Fuchs needs to get primed and ready to play.

4) Every team has an off day and to be fair Wigan are a decent footballing outfit who have a strong record when travelling to the top teams in League One. Three of their four away wins this season have arrived at Posh, Derby and Bolton so Posh need to reflect on a bad day, but also they should brush it off quickly. A win on Tuesday at Exeter will move Posh above Derby from the same number of games played and it could also take them into second in the unlikely event of Cambridge United getting something off Bolton Wanderers at the Abbey Stadium. Posh have now lost just five of 29 League One matches which means criticism should be accompanied by a continuing positive outlook. This remains an outstanding football team, but one with a puzzling paradox of being the highest scorers in the division without possessing a ruthless streak in front of goal.

5) On-loan Brentford winger Michael Olakigbe had a decent debut. He looked a handful when running on the outside of defenders and he should have had a debut assist with a perfect cross on the stroke of half-time which Jones headed wide. With the attention given to Mason-Clark by opponents on the other flank, Posh need a big threat on the right. Katongo supplied one as soon as Posh went 2-0 down, but there was no one to finish off his excellence. Substitute David Ajiboye, who didn’t look confident, did at least create the first Posh goal with a fine centre.

6) Before the game one of the Wigan media team told me whatever Posh received by way of a transfer fee for Ronnie Edwards his team would receive double for their centre-back Charlie Hughes. It was a brave statement given how little he would have seen of Edwards, but the comparison was interesting. They are different players with the comfort on the ball of Edwards matched by some excellent long crossfield passes from Hughes. Hughes struggled defensively early on as Mason-Clark threatened to go on the rampage, and collected a caution, but he also stepped in impressively to intercept passes intended for the Posh wide man. Hughes went off midway through the second-half to save him from a potential red card and Posh enjoyed plenty of joy down the left after he did. The players are England Under 20 teammates and both clearly have bright futures.

7) When added time of five minutes came up at the end of the match I was surprised it wasn’t a lot higher given how often Wigan players sat down on the pitch rolling around in apparent agony without then requiring attention. Referee Daniel Middleton was pretty good overall, but officials need to be sharper with such obvious time-wasting tactics. There were also eight substitutions, a red card and four goals in the second half with Wigan’s being followed immediately by a slow walk over to the technical area for a chat and a drink. The five minutes didn’t bother me initially as the game looked dead, but two goals in four minutes against a team out on their feet meant it became yet another refereeing frustration.