Bond delivers a premium display

First goalscorer: 4/1 Bodin (Rovers), 9/2 Nichols (Rovers), 5/1 Marriott (Posh), Harrison (Rovers), 11/2 Gaffney (Rovers), 6/1 Morias (Posh), Maddison (Posh), 7/1 Kanu (Posh), Lloyd (Posh), 8/1 Edwards (Posh), Doughty (Posh), Hargreaves (Rovers), 9/1 Clarke (Rovers), 10/1 Forrester (Posh), Sercombe (Rovers), 12/1 Da Silva Lopes (Posh), 16/1 Borg (Posh), 20/1 Tafazolli (Posh), Grant (Posh), Baldwin (Posh).

New Peterborough goalkeeper Jonathan Bond will always put points ahead of personal glory.

The 24 year-old loanee from Championship side Reading was a clear man-of-the-match for Posh in their opening day League One win over Plymouth at the ABAX Stadium.

But he admits the match sponsors’ champagne would have tasted flat if Posh hadn’t won the game.

“The game went well for me personally,” Bond said. “Which was great as it was my debut. I’ve had quiet debuts before and you actually get nore nervous and tetchy when you don’t have a great deal to do.

“The atmosphere in the ground was really exciting and I was thrilled to be named man-of-the-match so thanks to everyone who voted for me.

“But I was happy at the end only because we had won three points.

“I’m not here for personal glory I’m here to help this team win games and challenge for promotion.

“It was an encouraging start, but that’s all it is and the defence in front of me deserve a lot of the credit.

“We came under a bit of pressure after Plymouth pulled a goal back, but I don’t remember having to make any saves in that last 15 minutes which shows how well we defended.

“It was a massive three points and I was pleased to play my part by scrambling around my goal making a few saves!

“There is good character in this squad which we will need for a tough away game this weekend.”

Bond is likely to be re-united with a back three of Ryan Tafazolli, Jack Baldwin and Steven Taylor after the latter was rested from Tuesday’s disappointing Carabao Cup defeat at the hands of Barnet enabling Alex Penny to make his full Posh debut.

It’s expected manager Grant McCann will name the same starting XI he picked for the Plymouth match for Saturday’s game at the Memorial Stadium.

Midfielder Anthony Grant and right wing-back Leo Da Silva Lopes will probably be recalled at the expense of Chris Forrester and Danny Lloyd.

“Tuesday night has been dealt with,” said McCann. “It’s gone now and we move forward. Bristol Rovers away is a tough game, but we will be ready.” Posh committed daylight robbery in this fixture last season when goals from Shaquile Coulthirst (following a goalkeeper howler) and Tom Nichols (in the last minute) sealed a comefrom-behind 2-1 win after Rovers had dominated most of the second half. Posh haven’t lost on their last three Football League visits to Rovers, drawing 2-2 thanks to own goal and a George Boyd strike in 2011 and winning courtesy of a solitary Aaron Mclean goal in 2009.

Posh last lost at Rovers in the early days of Darren Ferguson’s management at London Road. Danny Crow and Mclean pulled Posh level from 2-0 down before the home side claimed a last-minute goal in a League Two game. Posh: Tyler, Newton, Morgan, Futcher, Arber, Low, Hyde, Gain, Butcher, Boyd, Mclean. Subs used: Strachan, Blackett, Crow. Tom Nichols left Posh for Rovers just before the start of the season for an undisclosed fee. He has yet to score in two appearances.

Other summer signings included attacking midfielder Liam Sercombe from Oxford and defender Sam Slocombe from Blackpool.

Rovers have also loaned defender Marc Bola from Arsenal. Bola (19) has yet to make his first team debut at the Emirates, but spent the second-half of last season on loan at Notts County. Striker Billy Bodin was Rovers’ top scorer (of those who were still at the club in May) last season with 13 goals, six fewer than Matty Taylor who left the club to join Bristol City in January. Bodin got off the mark for the current campaign with two goals against Cambridge in the Carabao Cup.