Peterborough United comment as new system works wonders, some welcome karma, why one of last night’s stars could be left out this weekend, a priceless striker, a terrible attendance and why the stayaways should be careful

Six games, two points and one goal is the sort of run that has managers fearing the bullet and the social media critics writing in capital letters to show how angry they are while sitting on their sofa.

A handsome 4-0 win over a Wycombe Wanderers team still sitting second in League One after 28 games could therefore have been greeted with much hubris and plenty of grandstanding from those most under fire.

Pleasingly the Posh camp weren’t like that last night. This was a first, smallish, yet still impressive, step on the on the road to recovery. They know they have bigger and harder battles to come, starting with the visit of League One leaders Rotherham United and their basketball-sized squad on Saturday.

At least Posh will go into that match with confidence restored. Another defeat last night would have had dire consequences for the rest of the season. No-one should under-estimate the value of momentum and Posh finally have some, not just because of the 90 minutes last night, but from the final 30 minutes at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday when Posh could easily have run in a hatful of goals.

Other talking points from last night...

1) It’s probably too simplistic to put two hours of decent football down to a system change, but it is hard to ignore the belief Posh should have dumped the midfield diamond weeks ago. Posh look defensively more secure with three central defenders and the speed and energy of recent signings Jack Taylor and Reece Brown enabled them to control possession in midfield and spread the ball wide at every opportunity, albeit against 10 men for most of the match.

Joe Ward and Dan Butler have the fitness levels to get up and down the flanks as effective wing-backs, but they will need to cross the ball better than they managed last night in future.

Posh will need to be far better all-round on Saturday. Rotherham would have been watching closely last night and the Posh formation will hold no surprises for them.

2) Siriki Dembele and Ivan Toney linked up as strikers more successfully, and more often, last night than Mo Eisa and Toney had managed in the previous two months. Dembele’s goal was high-class and if he can maintain last night’s levels, and not get cocky in possession, he could enjoy a strong finish to the season. Last night was just his fourth League One start of the season so he should be fresh and full of running, and boy can he run.

3) Toney has now scored more League goals this season (17) than he had managed in any previous season and it’s not yet February. Posh chairman Darragh MacAnthony described him as ‘priceless’ after last night’s romp and, while not literally accurate, the striker is indispensible as far as any chance of a play-off place is concerned. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t bag 30 goals in all competitions, especially as number one penalty-taker Marcus Maddison (remember him?) is in exile.

4) Wycombe manager Gareth Ainsworth was rightly frustrated with the first-half penalty decision and red card which swung the match heavily in Posh’s favour. It was extremely soft and there would surely have been few grumbles if referee Charles Breakspear (a step up on Darren Drysdale, but not by much) had waved play on. Still it was karma of sorts. I don’t recall Ainsworth moaning too much when Wycombe were awarded a contentious spot-kick in the last seconds against Posh in the reverse fixture, one which enabled them to escape with a draw.

5) Wycombe should be applauded for what they have acheived this season, but I’ll be disappointed if Posh don’t finish above them. That might not mean a top-six finish for Posh as I expect Wycombe to finish in mid-table. They are limited and recent results suggest they have been rumbled.

6) Quite rightly there was lots of praise for goal-scoring midfielder Jack Taylor last night, but I was also taken by the performance of fellow newbie Reece Brown. He has good vision and quick feet, but I still might leave him out on Saturday against Rotherham’s muscle-men as Josh Knight’s superior strength could be needed.

7) Last night’s gate of 3,851 was almost 2,000 down on the previous lowest home League One attendance of the season (5,733 v Rochdale) and the lowest for a League game since the infamous game in the snow against Walsall in February, 2018 (2,531). Posh have won the two games with the smallest crowds by an aggregate of 10-0 this season so stayaways should be careful!