The manager of second-placed Posh refuses to look at the league table, dedicates a win to Bobby Copping and explains his formation change and substitutions

Posh moved up to second place and an automatic promotion slot with a 3-0 win over AFC Wimbledon at the Weston Homes Stadium today (February 20). It was a fourth February win in a row for Posh.

Sammie Szmodics scored twice and Jonson Clarke-Harris claimed his 20th goal of the season, with all the goals arriving in the second half. Ferguson had implemented a formation change after 37 minutes.

Posh are a point behind leaders Lincoln City from the same number of games played, but are now two points clear of third-placed Hull City with two games in hand. Grant McCann’s side conceded a 102nd minute equaliser at Doncaster today.

Posh are also six points clear of fourth-placed Doncaster who have played a game fewer

“I’m not interested in the league table,” Ferguson, who dedicated the win to young Posh player Bobby Copping who was forced to retire this week, insisted. “What interests me is winning matches. If we win enough of them we will get where we want to be. I will look at the table when the season is over. For now I just focus on the next game.

“We are going well right now. It was a very pleasing result and performance again today, once we started to play with the intensity we needed.

“It wasn’t the formation we started with that was wrong today. We’ve won many games at home playing with wing-backs, but the lack of intensity was the problem. We were also too open in midfield, but once we changed shape, we pressed higher up the pitch, we became much harder to play against and won rather comfortably in the end

“The players adapt very quickly to the tactical changes we make during a game. They enjoy it.

“Two moments of quality at the start of the second-half settled the game really. The speed and accuracy of the passing for Sammie’s goals were outstanding and the second one in particular was an excellent finish.

“I would have liked the third goal to have arrived a bit sooner. If it had I would made the substitutions a lot earlier, but we looked full of running again for 90 minutes.

“To be fair to Wimbledon they kept going and Christy Pym had to make a very good save at 2-0.

“I urged the players to win the game for Bobby Copping though and they delivered. This one was for him. He’s a great lad.”

Midfielder Reece Brown came off 20 minutes from time today after taking a knock on the knee. He will be assessed thoroughly before Posh leave on Monday for Tuesday’s game at in-form Plymouth (February 23).

Defender Nathan Thompson was substituted as he is two cautions away from a two-game suspension