The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Vote of confidence for Fergie
Posh boss Darren Ferguson remains a believer in promotion from League One despite back-to-back defeats against the two worst teams in the division.
Posh followed a deserved 3-1 defeat at Bradford City last Saturday with an unfortunate 1-0 loss at AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday and yet they remain just one point and one place outside the play-off zone ahead of home games against promotion rivals Coventry City and a Southend United side in freefall.
And that’s where Posh hope comes from, although time is running out for the players to rediscover their winning habit. Posh have just nine matches remaining.
Rhys Bennett was sent off after conceding a late penalty at Wimbledon, although Posh have appealed that red card decision.
“It was a terrible decision,” Ferguson insisted. “It was hard to tell from my position near the dugout what had gone on, but the TV replay was damning. The referee giving the decision from so far away was most disappointing. You have to be sure to give a penalty and he couldn’t possibly be certain it was a foul from where he was.
“That’s the way things have been going for us lately, but we have to keep working hard and turn the form around quickly.
“Our form is so bad we shouldn’t be anywhere near the play-offs, but we are and other results have been the positive to take from two bad results of our own.
“There is still a lot to play for. I still believe we can do it and I hope the players also believe it. They were unlucky at Wimbledon. Anyone watching the game could see that, but we played poorly in the second-half at Bradford City and folded after conceding the first goal.
“After a slow start at Wimbledon when we didn’t play at the tempo I wanted we dominated the game, but lacked the ruthless streak to convert any of the chances we created.
“We had two players up front in Ivan Toney and Matt Godden with a lot of goals to their name this season. They haven’t played together much, but there were a couple of good pieces of link-up play.
“To accommodate them I had to leave Lee Tomlin out which is never an easy decision to make, but we had the chances to score goals. I was pleased with Louis Reed’s performance though.”
Posh have rearranged their League One away game at Portsmouth for Tuesday, April 30. The game was moved because of Pompey’s involvement in the Checkatrade Trophy Final.