REPORT: Hull City 1, Peterborough United 2: Posh pull off a perfect smash and grab raid in Hull

Posh trailed at the break to a Mallik Wilks goal after delivering a passive 45-minute performance.

But second half-goals from Jonson Clarke-Harris and Siriki Dembele turned the game on its head as Posh chalked up a fifth straight win.

Posh had to survive some heavy late pressure before celebrating victory, a first for manager Darren Ferguson over Hull counterpart Grant McCann.

McCann can feel aggrieved at his side’s first home defeat. Dembele’s winner came against the run of play 15 minutes from time courtesy of a big deflection.

Posh were without Sammie Szmodics enabling Ryan Broom to make a rare start, but Ferguson’s men struggled to get their passing game going from the first whistle.

Hull were far more fluent without creating much, but they did threaten down the right through full-back Josh Emmanuel and Wilks.

It was no surprise when the opening goal in the 37th minute came it arrived from that flank, although Posh were unhappy with referee Tom Nield for not awarding what looked a clear foul on Jack Taylor in the middle of the park.

Wilks picked up possession and exchanged passes with Josh Magennis before picking his spot and sidefooting home. The scorer had twice been denied by blocks by Dan Butler and Frankie Kent earlier in the half.

Conceding first against a team who had yet to let a goal in at home was a pre-match concern and it was almost 2-0 on the stroke of half-time when Emmanuel broke away again and picked out Keane Lewis-Potter with a terrific cross, but the youngster fluffed his opportunity on the half volley.

Posh were probably grateful to reach half-time still in touch as they had failed to test home ‘keeper Matt Ingram or even win a corner.

Posh ‘keeper Christy Pym also made no saves in a first-half that failed to live up to its pre-match billing.

Posh made an early change in the second-half with teenager Flynn Clarke replacing Broom and the 3-5-2 formation was re-introduced after a couple of weeks away.

And Posh did improve, helped by Hull’s negativity, although the equaliser just past the hour mark came out of the blue.

Posh had delivered a succession of inaccurate crosses when Joe Ward, now a wing-back, sent one hurtling towards the near post where Clarke-Harris was waiting to nod home.

If anything the equaliser galvanised Hull. Lewis-Potter smashed a 25 yarder wide before Pym shovelled Richie Smallwood’s strike from the edge of the box around a post.

Butler then did well to deflect a Wilks shot onto the outside of the post before Posh broke away to steal the points.

Ward superbly dodged around his marker in his own half and surged into the home half before laying the ball back towards Clarke-Harris and Dembele on the edge of the area.

Dembele took control and his left-foot shot flew into the goal with the help from a defender.

Hull then threw everything at a valiant Posh rearguard with Pym saving well at his near post after a cross was deflected goalwards.

A Frankie Kent clearance then struck Greg Docherty and whistled past a post before substitute Tom Eaves glanced a header just wide.

And in the 95th and final minute a delightful chip from Wilks was taken off his own players’ head by Eaves and Posh could finally breathe easily.

Posh: Christy Pym, Nathan Thompson (sub Niall Mason, 90 mins), Dan Butler, Frankie Kent, Mark Beevers, Reece Brown, Jack Taylor, Joe Ward, Ryan Broom (sub Flynn Clarke, 51 mins), Siriki Dembele, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Unused substitutes: Mo Eisa, Dan Gyollai, Louis Reed, Frazer Blake-Tracy, Ethan Hamilton.

Hull: Matt Ingram, Reece Burke, Callum Elder, Jacob Greaves, Josh Emmanuel, Richie Smallwood, George Honeyman, Greg Docherty, Mallik Wilks, Keane Lewis-Potter (sub Hakeeb Adelakun, 71 mins), Josh Magennis (sub Tom Eaves, 71 mins).

Unused substitutes: George Long, Jordy de Wijs, Alfie Jones, Regan Slater, Thomas Mayer.

Goals: Posh - Clarke-Harris (63 mins), Dembele (75 mins).

Hull - Wilks (37 mins).

Cautions: Posh - Thompson (foul).

Hull - Elder (foul), Smallwood (foul), Honeyman (foul).

Referee: Tom Nield 5