FERGIE’S POSH ARE A CLASS ABOVE
THERE may still be a long way to go but new League One leaders Peterborough United are showing the kind of form worthy of any promotionwinning team according to boss Darren Ferguson.
A fourth victory in five games helped Posh go top after they beat struggling Colchester United, despite missing an early penalty and having Kgosi Ntlhe sent off late on.
Conor Washington, Ntlhe and Jermaine Anderson scored for the visitors who look like the team to beat – even at this stage.
Ferguson said: “It’s satisfying to be top – it doesn’t matter if it’s the first game or the 45th.
“We’ve started the season well but we started last season well and no-one is getting carried away.
“I think we’ve really had to show a steely determination in all of the three league away games that we’ve won.
“We were in control and we started the second half well.
“But then they got on top and got a goal, which was a sloppy goal for us to concede.
“But you have to give credit to the opposition, because I thought they played well in the second half.”
Lowly Colchester are still looking for their first win of the season, after falling to a fourth successive defeat.
U’s boss Joe Dunne said: “We’ve done OK in a lot of moments in the game but I think we can do better with the goals that we conceded and that’s the difference between top and bottom.
“We’ve got to the end of August with only one point on the board and that’s the downside but I’ve told the players we’ll all go through these moments through the course of the season.
“We’re having our moment now and we still believe that we’re good enough and we have played some tough teams.
“That’s something that we need to work on but Peterborough showed why they’re top of the league.”
Peterborough squandered a great chance to take an early lead when Colchester goalkeeper Sam Walker saved Washington’s fourth-minute spot-kick after teenager Sammie Szmodics, making his first league start, had handled Kyle Vassell’s free-kick.
Posh goalkeeper Ben Alnwick then made good saves to deny both Gavin Massey and Ben Gordon at his near post in quick succession, before Posh took a 20th minute lead when Washington raced onto Christian Burgess’s pass and converted with aplomb.
It took Peterborough only five minutes to double their advantage through Ntlhe, who finished well from close range after Joe Newell had caused problems in the area.
Alex Gilbey was unlucky to see his fierce long-range effort rattle the underside of the crossbar and Freddie Sears squandered a great chance before eventually pulling a 64thminute goal back for Colchester.
But Peterborough restored their two-goal advantage with 13 minutes to go through Anderson, who converted from five yards, before Ntlhe was dismissed for a second bookable offence late on.