Three wishes for Peterborough United, a goalkeeper conundrum for next week and why it would be wrong to ignore JCH if he's still around in February

For now though we must get used to nail-biting one-goal wins. The last five League One wins have been by the narrowest possible margin which does at least suggest it’s a Posh team with defensive discipline and calm heads to go with their obvious attacking quality.

Anyway winning ugly is never a bad thing, even for a team capable of playing beautiful football, and it’s something we might have to get used to, at home at least as Posh couldn’t be performing on a playing surface less suited to their skills and style of play at the Weston Homes Stadium.

It’s quite the statement though that Posh should still have won this game 4-1 despite playing below their best for large parts of it.

TALKING POINTS FROM POSH 2, SHREWSBURY 1…

1) Posh have been remarkably fortunate with injuries this season, but they could be without two of their ‘Fab Four’ attackers at Lincoln City next Saturday if Ricky-Jade Jones is too banged up to play at Sincil Bank and joins Kwame Poku on the sidelines. Jones looked fragile physically when he first broke into the first-team picture at Posh, but that can’t be levelled at him now as he’s been involved in 25 of the 27 League One games this season. He’s now playing centrally rather than on the wing so physical confrontations are more likely, but he was decent yesterday despite missing an early one-on-one opportunity. Malik Mothersille would be the man to replace him at Lincoln and I’m quite looking forward to seeing him play from the start. He’s also rapid and, from what little I’ve seen of him, he looks composed when running in on goal. He was denied a first Football League strike yesterday, after a flowing move, by a superb defensive block.

2) If Jonson Clarke-Harris is still at Posh in February I’d get him back in the squad even though Ferguson was quite negative about his chances of playing much after yesterday’s game. Clarke-Harris was fit yesterday, but was left out of the 18 which might have been a further message about the need to move on. I’d rather have the tried and trusted golden boot winner coming on to try and salvage, or win, as opposed to someone who has seen precious little League One action like Jacob Wakeling.

3) While we’re discussing selection Nicholas Bilokapic, who has been the first choice goalkeeper for most of the season, is available for the Lincoln City trip after recovering from injury. I wouldn’t pick him which not a slight on a young professional who has done well, but Jed Steer’s experience will be invaluable as the tension and pressure increases this season. Steer is good on the ball which is a must in this team and the way he dealt with Shrewsbury’s one corner in the second-half yesterday by catching the ball rather than trying to punch it was a good sign.

4) There were questions being asked about the Posh back-up boys at half-time yesterday as Posh looked impotent down the right with Jadel Katongo and David Ajiboye operating in tandem rather than Peter Kioso and Poku. But then they combined with thrilling effect at the start of the second half to quite brilliantly set up an equaliser for Joel Randall. Both grew in confidence after that. It’s unfair to compare either of them with the players they have replaced. The current starters have different skills and the rest of the team needs to appreciate that.

5) It’s taken a while, but the performance levels of Posh midfielder Archie Collins are catching the eye of the club’s fanbase. Others might look more classy and others are bigger and stronger, but only Ronnie Edwards comes close to matching Collins’ skill of reading the game, spotting danger and snuffing it out.

6) Three Posh wishes. Get Josh Knight on an extended contract, tell Ronnie Edwards he isn’t leaving unless he is loaned straight back to us and sort out a pitch that has started to make Hector Kyprianou look like an erratic passer of the ball.

7) Matt Taylor the player was cultured with a quality left-foot when starring for Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers. Matt Taylor the manager is overseeing a long-ball Shrewsbury team big on effort, but with little quality. It makes no sense. He can’t enjoy what he’s watching regardless of the results.