REACTION: Posh boss explains Dembele’s omission from the starting line-up

There were a few eyebrows raised when teenager Harrison Burrows started ahead of wing wizard Siriki Dembele Dembele, who has been struggling with a bad back in recent weeks, came off the bench early in the second-half and shot Posh in front within 10 minutes.

Ferguson also preferred Louis Reed in central midfield ahead of Reece Brown. Jack Taylor was recalled to make his first start since the end of February.

“I had some tough decisions to make,” Ferguson admitted. “Harrison has been playing well and with two games over Easter so close together I knew players would get tired, space would open up and Siriki could come on and pick them off. And that’s exactly what happened.

“Siriki was always going to come on in a game like this.

“I took Louis Reed and Dan Butler off early because they had picked up yellow cards. This team has a lot of players sent off against them so I had to be mindful of that. I was even before the game.

“The substitutes all did well.”