Peterborough United's suffering continues despite a plucky performance against Barnsley

They put a decent shift in at home to unbeaten Barnsley at the Weston Homes Stadium, but much of the praise will come as a result of the low expectations currently enveloping London Road. Posh have been far worse than this, but they still could have lost by a far greater margin.

Posh were the better side in the first-half before falling behind after another calamitous piece of defending, and, with better finishing Barnsley would have romped to victory in the second-half. They hit the post twice and missed a couple of sitters, while forcing Posh ‘keeper Vicente Reyes into regular impressive action.

And they almost paid for their profligacy when substitute Gustav Lindgren found enough time and space to convert James Dornelly’s cross in the 98th and final minute. Instead he somehow turned it over the bar leaving Posh with a blank record of four defeats in four games and a spot at the very bottom of the League One table.

Posh made four changes to the team beaten at Wigan with Klaidi Lolos and Kyrell Lisbie rewarded for decent efforts off the bench with starts in place of Donay O’Brien-Brady and Abraham Odoh. James Dornelly replaced Harley Mills which meant to switch to left-back for skipper Carl Johnston. Centre-back Oscar Wallin was not in the matchday squad and George Nevett stepped in to at least add a left foot to the back four.

Barnsley arrived unbeaten and presumably full of confidence. They’d scored in every game under the management of Conor Hourihane, 14 of them which was scary thought given what Posh have offered up defensively so far this season. They’d also conceded in every one of those games so there was hope. Former Posh loanee Nathanael Ogbeta started for the visitors.

Posh proceeded to deliver their best 40 minutes of the season so far. They passed the ball crisply and usually forwards. Lisbie was impressively direct, but creating good chances still proved difficult.

A Cian Hayes cross sped just out of Brad Ihionvien’s reach. Lisbie was denied a penalty after a collision with a defender – the decision naturally went the other way – and when the winger robbed a dithering defender on 35 minutes and saw Ihionvien steaming up alongside him a goal looked likely. Unfortunately a fine piece of defending took the ball out of the centre forward’s reach and to rub it in referee Scott Jackson, another unconvincing official, gave a goal-kick.

Lisbie was again involved on 38 minutes chesting the ball down for Lolos whose shot was strong, but too straight and Barnsley ‘keeper Murphy Cooper saved.

Barnsley were poor and yet created good chances for Patrick Kelly, which he spooned over, and for Vickers who chipped casually into the hands of Vicente Reyes.

And then the game turned. Posh centre-back David Okagbue will take most of the blame for heading a tame-looking shot past Reyes who would surely have saved, but those who allowed Vickers to wander inside unchallenged were also culpable.

Posh visibly wilted for the final 5 minutes of the half and Brandon Khela hacked a prod forward from Jack Shepherd at a corner off the line. The corner had been won after Nevett lost possession inside his own area with Khela again coming to the rescue.

Khela stabbed a shot against the top of the crossbar early in the second-half, but Posh didn’t really threaten again until Lindgren’s very late miss. Substitutions didn’t help – if anything they made things worse – and Barnsley should really should have won more convincingly.

Reyes pushed a Luca Connell free kick onto a post before recovering well to grab the rebound. David McGoldrick struck the inside of a post and within 60 seconds shot horribly wide when well placed.

Reyes again came to the rescue with a great stop after Adam Phillips had sneaked behind the Posh defence.

Posh need a win badly, but when it will arrive is anyone’s guess. A strong work ethic is not making up for a lack of defensive solidity or attacking creativity.

Posh: Vicente Reyes, Carl Johnston, David Okagbue, George Nevett, James Dornelly, Archie Collins (sub Gustav Lindgren, 77 mins, Brandon Khela, Kyrell Lisbie (sub Abraham Odoh, 66 mins), Cian Hayes (sub Declan Frith 58 mins), Klaidi Lolos (sub Donay O’Brien-Brady, 66 mins), Bradley Ihionvien

Unused subs: Bastian Smith, Harley Mills, Lucca Mendonca, Gustav Lindgren,.

Barnsley: Murphy Cooper, Jack Shepherd, Caylan Vickers (sub Reyes Cleary 90 + 1 min), Adam Phillips, Nathaniel Ogbeta (sub Jonathan Bland, 74 mins), Patrick Kelly (sub Jon Russell, 85 mins), Tennai Watson, Josh Earl, Luca Connell, Davis-Keillor-Dunn, David McGoldrick.

Unused subs: Kieran Flavell, Neil Farrugia, Connor Barratt, Leo Farrell.

GOAL: Barnsley – Vickers (44 mins).

CAUTIONS: Posh – Frith (foul).

Barnsley –– Watson (foul), Earl (unsportsmanlike conduct), Clearly (foul),

REFEREE: Scott Jackson 5

ATTENDANCE: 7,148.