'You can't bully us' says Peterborough United chairman after Stevenage skipper receives a three-game ban for violent conduct

MacAnthony was speaking on his ‘Hard Truth’ podcast a couple of days after Posh had emerged victorious from a physical confrontation with Stevenage at the Weston Homes Stadium.

The chairman was incensed by former Posh Academy player Carl Piergianni’s attempt to intimidate Posh striker Ricky-Jade Jones by thrusting an arm into his face. The incident early in the game was missed by the officials, but video evidence has led to a three-game ban for violent conduct for the Stevenage skipper.

"That was bang out of order from Piergianni,” MacAnthony fumed. “It was no accident. He knew what he was doing. He basically assaulted a 21 year-old. It’s a good job I wasn’t at the game because I’d have been on the pitch like the Nottingham Forest chairman!

“I guess Piergianni wanted to stop Ricky pressing and trying to run past him. He virtually retired Northampton’s back four recently. He is a threat to every back four and not so long ago things like that would have affected us, but now attempts to wind our young players up and bully them won’t work.

"I have a lot of respect for Stevenage though. Our old manager Steve Evans is doing a fantastic job and I still fancy them to finish in the top six. I don’t agree with his comments about small budgets and stuff because I know what they paid the players they took from us in the summer.”

Stevenage signed defenders Dan Butler and Nathan Thompson, plus midfielder Ben Thompson, from Posh before the start of the current season.

Sixth-placed Stevenage host play-off rivals Leyton Orient on Saturday when fourth-placed Posh are at home to leaders Portsmouth.