Pressure on Peterborough United ahead of Stevenage clash as rivals all win on Tuesday night

Even though Posh boss Darren Ferguson told those in attendance at his press conference on Tuesday afternoon that he would be watching Netflix on last night rather than Sky Sports News as it “would make you go mad,” he doubtless would have let out a slight sigh when he saw Tuesday night’s results.

As Posh waited for their TV date with Stevenage on Wednesday night, Portsmouth, Derby, Bolton and Barnsley all picked up victories on Tuesday night.

The net result was Posh moving down to fifth, sitting seven points behind second-placed Derby with two games in hand.

The Rams appeared to be somewhat fortunate to beat Reading at Pride Park. Dwight Gayle scored for a third straight game to give Paul Warne’s side the lead before Sam Smith pulled Reading level.

The game turned, however, when referee Charles Breakspear gave Andy Yiadom a second yellow when their appeared to be minimal to no contact.

With 20 minutes to play, the referee then missed a handball from Gayle in the box moments before he was fouled. Conor Hourihane stepped up and buried the spot kick to seal a 2-1 win.

Bolton found the going much easier against Oxford, putting on a 5-0 demolition. The rout was started by former Posh man Nathanael Ogbeta and added to by goals from Josh Dacres-Cogley, George Thomason, Aaron Collins and Josh Sheehan.

Their goal difference is now better than Posh by two with the two sides level on 71 as the division’s top scorers.

Barnsley leapfrogged Posh into fifth in a entertaining game against bottom side Carlisle. They trailed after ten minutes but pulled the game back to 3-1 before a late consolation for Paul Simpson’s side.

Leaders Portsmouth marched on with a 2-1 win over Burton that saw its own controversial moments as Burton were denied a stonewall penalty in the second half as they looked strong chasing an equaliser. They remain five points clear at the top.

Blackpool and Lincoln turned up the pressure on Stevenage, who sit just a point clear of the chasing pack now in sixth but with two games in hand.

The pair dealt with Posh’s fiercest rivals, Blackpool saw off Northampton 1-0 at Sixfields while Lincoln thrashed Cambridge 6-0 at Sincil Bank. Joe Taylor got on the scoresheet twice as Lincoln moved to within three of Stevenage.

Results

Bolton 5-0 Oxford, Carlisle 2-3 Barnsley, Derby 2-1 Reading, Fleetwood 0-0 Bristol Rovers, Leyton Orient 0-0 Port Vale, Lincoln 6-0 Cambridge, Northampton 0-1 Blackpool, Portsmouth 2-1 Burton, Shrewsbury 0-3 Exeter, Wycombe 1-0 Wigan.