Peterborough United's players showed they are up for the play-off challenge in Shrewsbury

Jonson Clarke-Harris buries the penalty to put Posh into the lead against Shrewsbury. Photo: Joe Dent.

Manager Ferguson's men brushed aside the Shrews 3-0 at the Montgomery Waters Meadow to maintain their sixth place position.

Goals from a Jonson Clarke-Harris penalty, as well as Ephron Mason-Clark and Jack Taylor gave Posh the three points

Victories for Bolton and Derby maintained the status quo with the teams 5th to 7th, but Posh were able to pull five points clear of Portsmouth and Wycombe as they drew 1-1 with Milton Keynes and were beaten 4-0 by Ipswich respectively.

Darren Ferguson offers instruction to his team from the sidelines. Photo: Joe Dent.

Posh were rarely in danger in the match and could have been further than one ahead at the break.

Ferguson said: “It’s probably the most comfortable result I’ve had here as a manager as they always make it really difficult. From the first minute though, we controlled the game.

“It was a comfortable performance, full of belief. We were excellent, professional, mature and confident. We played like a team that is enjoying the challenge today.

“I can’t pick too many faults in the performance, apart from maybe we should have killed the game off in the first half.

“We’ve had 12 shots at goal in the first half, it could have been two or three. I just said don’t get frustrated, move the ball and then we have got the quality to pick teams off. Ephron then scored a really good goal.

“When we went 2-0 up, we stopped passing it and they put us under pressure, but we dealt with it fine.

“They have won their last five at home, not many teams come here and do what we did today.”

The clean sheet was Posh's fourth in a row, the first time they have achieved that in Football League matches since 2019.

Ferguson added: “It’s another clean sheet, four on the bounce, another three goals away from home, it’s a very good day.

“Keeping clean sheets is going to be important as we’ve got threats all over the pitch and we know we have goals in us so the more we can keep the better.”

Posh will look to keep up their momentum as they face Exeter at home on Easter Monday. The Grecians were beaten 1-0 at home by play-off rivals Bolton on Friday.