FERGIE’S JOY AS POSH END CUP HOODOO
DARREN Ferguson hailed his Peterborough side after they clinched a fifth-round berth for the first time in 36 years after seeing off QPR.
Goals from Joe Ward and substitute Ricky Jade-Jones saw Posh through to the last16 for only the fifth time in their history.
Ferguson said: “It was a great result for us and a good clean sheet, which was needed.
“We rode our luck with setpieces in the first half and I wasn’t convinced with how we dealt with them.
“In the second half, we looked more of a threat than we did in the first half. The result was the most important thing. Performance-wise, it was a solid, resilient and determined.”
Ferguson pinpointed the substitutions as a key turning point in the game, with Sammie Szmodics and goalscorer Jones turning in impressive cameos.
He added: “We had more energy in the second half. The subs really helped us.
“I said to the players that I need everyone. I am pleased for the players because we have had a tough time and it is good to be in the fifth round.”
QPR dominated possession early on and came closest to opening the scoring after 15 minutes, when Ilias Chair unleashed a piledriver from 25 yards that was tipped acrobatically wide by Steven Benda.
Charlie Austin had a half-chance for the away side when he met Chair’s corner on the volley, but blazed over.
However, Posh scored against the run of play just a minute later when Ward found himself with space to slot confidently past David Marshall.
QPR hit back after 26 minutes when they broke at pace and Lee Wallace’s cross found Moses Odubajo at the back post, who saw his fierce strike palmed over by Benda.
Mark Warburton’s men had a fantastic chance to equalise when Chair’s deep free-kick was headed back by Dion Sanderson and Lyndon Dykes poked wide from eight yards. There was drama at the start of the second half as QPR could have made it 1-1 after 20 seconds, but Benda made an incredible save from Albert Adomah’s volley.
Chair almost gave QPR the equaliser they craved just before the hour mark when his free-kick smashed the bar.
Out of the blue, Posh made it 2-0 after 71 minutes when substitute Jade-Jones got in down the right-hand side and slammed an emphatic finish past Marshall.
Meanwhile, QPR manager Mark Warburton was left scratching his head in frustration after seeing his side squander numerous opportunities over the 90 minutes.
He said: “We are out of the Cup in front of 4,000 QPR fans so I am disappointed and frustrated, but I can’t criticise the attitude and the effort. We dominated possession, we dominated chances and we should have scored three goals from set pieces in the first half.
“It was one of those games where we didn’t get the luck in the final third and we didn’t show that little bit of quality that you need in the final third.”