Peterborough United's top two hopes are blown to pieces after an embarrassing capitulation at Oxford United

Oxford United are decent and they’d won their two previous games 4-0. They went one better here as they continued a late charge to the play-offs, but you’d never have known everything was on the line here for Posh as well.

A win would have sealed a play-off place of their own and it would have kept some pressure on their automatic promotion rivals. Instead a display of slapdash casualness at both ends of the pitch has left Posh twiddling their thumbs until the post-season action.

Remarkably the 5-0 scoreline even represented Posh getting away with a little. Oxford missed a glaring open goal and struck the post twice.

Just where this performance came from is anyone’s guess. Posh missed two sitters of their own in the first quarter of the game alongside gifting Oxford two goals of their own.

And their response to self-inflicted setbacks was as bad as the their actual play. Heads dropped, the tackling was timid and the passing became slow and pointless.

Manager Darren Ferguson was so obviously frustrated he made four half-time substitutions, none of which were likely to turn the game around. It was a surprise he didn’t leave the first-choice players on in the hope of making the hosts sweat a little.

But no, apart from the surging runs of replacement David Ajiboye, Posh offered very little going forward and stayed susceptible at the back.

Posh named an unchanged starting line-up for their latest ‘must-win’ game. Centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez replaced right-back James Dornelly on the substitutes’ bench.

Oxford were without key midfielder Cameron Brannagan because of injury, but still named an attacking line-up as supporters settled down to watch a game expected to be closely fought.

And it was for 30 minutes as Posh missed slapdash defending with promise going forward, but, not for the first time this season, they were poor in both penalty areas.

Posh survived two early chances after seeing passes intercepted with Ronnie Edwards twice coming to the rescue in his own six yard box. Posh responded as Ricky-Jade Jones headed an Ephron Mason-Clark cross over the bar from close range and Joel Randall headed straight at home ‘keeper Jamie Cumming from a Kwame Poku cross.

But on 18 minutes one more awful defensive pass from Archie Collins that landed between Josh Knight and Jadel Katongo led to the latter tripping Josh Murphy.

It looked an obvious penalty and Mark Harris slammed the spot-kick straight and under goalkeeper Jed Steer, whose afternoon was soon going to get much worse.

Posh kept probing though. Poku looked a threat with his dribbling and on 27 minutes Mason-Clark did superbly to win the ball out wide and deliver the perfect cross for Jones six yards from goal. He somehow managed to hit the crossbar.

Oxford stayed patient, probably in the knowledge Posh would soon be shooting themselves in the foot again and they weren’t wrong. On 31 minutes Posh casually knocked the ball around at the back. It arrived at the feet of Steer who bizarrely chipped the ball onto the head of Murphy who couldn’t miss.

Posh fell apart from then on. Commitment and confidence appeared to collapse and Murphy continued his personal torture of the right side of the visiting defence. On 38 minutes Murphy stood Katongo up and played the perfect pass for Ruben Rodrigues to finish from the edge of the area.

There was still time for Dale to strike the outside of the post and for the same player to miss an open goal after more Murphy magic before an interval which saw Posh make those substitutions and change formation to three at the back.

It altered nothing. Oxford played well within themselves and still looked the far more threating side.

A diving header from Rodrigues made it 4-0 on 59 minutes with substitute Billy Bodin delivering a stunning coup de grace in the last minute with a lovely chip.

In between the goals Steer saved a one-on-one opportunity for Marcus Browne and Greg Leigh shot against the inside of a post.

In response Posh were restricted to one chance after some fine interplay between Poku and substitute Malik Mothersille, but the former took to long to shoot and the opportunity disappeared.

It rather summed up a performance that was worrying on all sorts of levels.

Posh: Jed Steer, Jadel Katongo (sub David Ajiboye, 46 mins), Harrison Burrows, Ronnie Edwards, Josh Knight (sub Emmanuel Fernandez, 46 mins), Hector Kyprianou, Archie Collins, Joel Randall (sub Romoney Crichlow, 46 mins), Kwame Poku, Ephron Mason-Clark (sub Jonson Clarke-Harris, 46 mins), Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Malik Mothersille, 60 mins).

Unused substitutes: Ryan De Havilland, Nicholas Bilokapic.

Oxford: Jamie Cumming, Sam Long, Ciaran Brown, Greg Leigh, Fin Stevens, Josh McEachran (James Henry, 83 mins), Tyler Goodrham (sub Oisin Smyth, 83 mins), Ruben Rodrigues (sub Marcus McGuane, 73 mins), Owen Dale (sub Billy Bodin, 73 mins), Josh Murphy (sub Marcus Browne, 66 mins) Mark Harris.

Unused substitutes: Jordan Thorniley, Simon Eastwood.

GOALS: Oxford – Harris (pen, 18 mins), Murphy (31 mins), Rodrigues (38 mins & 59 mins), Bodin (90 mins).

CAUTIONS: Posh – Katongo (foul).

REFEREE: Andy Davies 7.

ATTENDANCE: 10,046 (998 Posh).