Peterborough United's play off hopes hanging by a thread after a tame defeat at Fleetwood Town

Saturday’s crushing home defeat at the hands of Bolton Wanderers was bad enough, but this feeble efffort against a team with limited ambition was arguably more worrying.

Indeed for all the talk of Posh’s awful record against the best sides, they’ve also managed to lose 1-0 twice to Fleetwood. That’s a quarter of the wins managed by the Cod Army all season.

The home side played a waiting and containing game as Posh missed chances to score before gifting another goal away through alarmingly poor defending.

Darren Ferguson’s men found it easy to keep the ball, but creating chances was far more difficult. When they did arrive, often from the promptings of full debutant left-back Nathanael Ogbeta, they failed to hit the target.

Some of the interest in this game was removed before kick-off when former Posh star Jack Marriott was named on the Fleetwood substitutes bench. Ex-Posh youth team defender Danny Andrew missed out because of injury.

The only Posh reaction to a home humbling by Bolton Wanderers was a switch from Dan Butler to Ogbeta at left-back, although popular midfielder Jeando Fuchs returned from exile to sit on the bench in place of Ricky-Jade Jones.

The home side lined up with one top, while trying to crowd midfield areas. Posh were handed as much possession as they wanted and initially played with plenty of promise.

Joe Ward scooted behind the home defence in the first-minute, but when the ball came into the penalty area there was too much dithering and the chance was gone.

Posh managed to find enough space to threaten opportunities though. They thought they’d taken the lead when Jack Taylor curled a 20 yard shot towards the top corner in the ninth minute, but home ‘keeper Jay Lynch, who’s not the biggest, stretched out to make a fine save, tipping the ball onto the crossbar.

Fleetwood were barely mustering an attack and didn’t seem too bothered about it either, but then Posh gifted them a 20th-minute goal. Frankie Kent’s sloppy pass out from the back was intercepted, Phoenix Patterson delivered an inch-perfect cross and Promise Omochere, Marriott’s replacement, got in front of Ogbeta to head home.

Posh continued to control possession. They won numerous free kicks and looked a serious threat down the left-hand side, through Ogbeta and Ephron Mason-Clark.

The latter was picked out by former, but could only steer a right-foot shot wide from 10 yards, Jonson Clarke-Harris headed an Ogbeta cross wide and then the on-loan full-back took matters into his own hands by driving at the defence, racing dangerously into the area before shooting straight at Lynch.

Goalscorer Omochere was injured and withdrawn at half-time in favour of Marriott who was placed alongside Jayden Stockley in an attempt to give the Posh defence something to do.

Posh took a while to get going after the break which persauded manager Darren Ferguson to swap right-back Nathan Thompson for attacking midfielder Harrison Burrows on the hour mark. Ward dropped to full-back and Posh were almost instantly rewarded, albeit from the left side as Taylor sidefooted Mason-Clark’s cross wide.

It was mainly down the left that Posh looked dangerous. Ogbeta slung another fine cross that eluded four four forwards. The pattern was broken a minute later when Ward’s excellent cross was well defended as Mason-Clark prepared to pounce.

Clarke-Harris then tried his luck from a 25 yard free kick. He hit it well, but straight at Lynch. Penalty appeals for a foul by the ‘keeper as Clarke-Harris chased a Ronnie Edwards cross were rightly turned down.

Kabongo Tshimanga was sent on with 15 minutes to go as Posh went 4-4-2 with Burrows and Mason-Clark on the flanks.

But Posh fizzled out rather meekly. Hopeful crosses and shots never found intended targets. Those play-off hopes are also now in danger of fizzling out. The serious contenders for the top six are flexing their muscles as Posh drift away.

Posh: Will Norris, Nathanael Ogbeta (sub Dan Butler, 87 mins), Frankie Kent (sub Josh Knight, 87 mins), Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Thompson (sub Harrison Burrows, 60 mins), Jack Taylor, Hector Kyprianou, Ephron Mason-Clark, Kwame Poku (sub Kabongo Tshimanga, 77 mins), Joe Ward, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Ben Thompson, Jeando Fuchs.

Fleetwood: Jay Lynch, Brendan Wiredu, Corrie Ndaba, Scott Robertson, Lewis Warrington, Harrison Holgate, Pheonix Patterson (sub Cian Hayes, 67 mins), Shaun Rooney, Havey Macadam (sub Carlos Mendes Gomes, 68 mins) Jayden Stockley (sub Toto Nsiala, 80 mins), Promise Omochere (sub Jack Marriott, 46 mins).

Unused subs: Stephen McMullan, Darnell Johnson, Callum Dolan.

Goals: Fleetwood – Omochere (20 mins).

Cautons: Posh – Thompson (foul), Knight (unsportsmanlike conduct).

Fleetwood – Mendes Gomes (foul), Lynch (unsportsmanlike conduct)

Referee: Martin Woods 7.

Attendance: (to follow).