REPORT: BRISTOL ROVERS 0, PETERBOROUGH UNITED 2: Two great goals keep Posh on top of League One

Jack Taylor fired Posh in front five minutes before the break with a 20-yard piledriver before full-back Dan Butler launched an unstoppable thunderbolt into the top corner from 25 yards 20 minutes into the second half.

Posh cruised home from then on. Sammie Szmodics struck the woodwork twice, while Rovers forced Christy Pym into just one meaningful save.

Posh made one change to their starting line-up with Nathan Thompson returning to right-back in place of Niall Mason in the 4-2-3-1 formation.

Rovers made three changes including the removal of Jack Baldwin from the side to join fellow ex-Poshie Erhun Oztumer on the substitutes’ bench.

And the home side almost picked Posh apart in the second minute as Zain Westbrook’s superb pass found Sam Nicholson free in the penalty area, but Butler raced across from left-back to make a terrific block.

And two minutes later Posh should have hit the front after excellent link-up play by three forwards. A neat flick from Jonson Clarke-Harris found Szmodics who in turn found Siriki Dembele racing through on goal.

Dembele opeted to shoot with his weaker left foot with miserable results. The ball struck home defender Cian Harris, but would have been saved easily anyway.

The game then settled down. After Mark Beevers had blocked 20-yard shots from Nicholson and Westbrook, Posh started to control the ball better without creating too many chances.

A header from a Joe Ward corner from Clarke-Harris looked goalbound until the ball struck the face of a defender. Ward then blazed over from 25 yards before Taylor showed him how to do it from five yards closer three minutes before the break.

Taylor accepted Dembele’s short pass and powered the ball home.

Rovers started the second-half on top, but once a couple of corners had been well defended, Posh almost snatched a second goal.

Szmodics was the man to go close. His 20 yard shot was true, but giant Finnish goalkeeper Anssi Jaakola somehow diverted the ball onto the inside of the post. The ball dribbled along the goalline before leaving the field of play for a corner.

Posh had one scare when Beevers cleared the ball against Butler, but the ball looped over the bar with Pym scrambling.

Five minutes later and Posh had secured the points. Some more patient passing between Dembele and Reece Brown saw the ball reach Butler who advanced before lashing a superb 25 yarder into the top corner.

Hanlon was soon forcing Pym to make a trademark save with his feet, but Posh took complete control of the game in the final 20 minutes.

Szmodics hit the outside of the post with a deflected 20-yard strike after scuffing badly wide following good work from Thompson and Ward.

Little was seen near goal of returning Rovers forward Clarke-Harris who was quiet apart from whistling one 20-yard free-kick past an upright.

Posh: Christy Pym, Nathan Thompson, Dan Butler, Frankie Kent, Mark Beevers, Jack Taylor, Reece Brown, Joe Ward, Sammie Szmodics, Siriki Dembele, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Unused substitutes: Dan Gyollai, Idris Kanu, Niall Mason, Ryan Broom, Mo Eisa, Ethan Hamilton, Louis Reed.

Rovers: Anssi Jaakola, Max Ehmer, Alfie Kilgour, Cian Harris, Josh Hare, David Tutonda (sub Ali Koiki, 62 mins), James Daly (sub Jayden Mitchell-Lawson, 66 mins), Zain Westbrook, Josh Grant, Sam Nicholson (sub Erhun Oztumer, 66 mins), Brandon Hanlon.

Unused substitutes: Jordi van Stappershoef, Ed Upson, Luke McCormick, Jack Baldwin.

Goals: Posh - Taylor (42 mins), Butler (62 mins),

Cautions: Posh - Brown (foul).

Rovers - Ehmer (foul), Hare (foul).

Referee: Lee Swabey 6.