Menbehavin’ badly off the pitch but some magic moments on it

George Boyd scored the greatest goal ever seen at London Road ( and that includes yours MrGeorge Best) with a 50- yard volley as Posh registered their first home win of the season against Huddersfield . . . onOctober 23!

Posh beat Derby a few days later to climb out of the Championship relegation zone following a run of four wins in six matches. New on- loan signing from West Brom Saido Berahino scored twice against Derby.

But just as things were improving on the pitch there’s an almight row off it as director of football BarryFryandmanager Fergusonbecameembroiledin an unsavoury public spat. Fry revealed that Ferguson had spoken to Nottingham Forest about their vacant manager’s job in the summer prompting Ferguson to claim that Fry was trying to force his resignation.

Thefanshadtheirsay andit was reflected in a ‘ Fry Out, FergusonIn’ headline in the Peterborough Telegraph the following day. 4- 1 home defeat by Blackburn.

Barnett and Mendez- Laing were cautioned by police for threateningbehaviourandboth were banished from the club before moving on loan to Ipswich and Portsmouth respectively. Sinclair was farmed out toBarnsleyonasimilardealand Zakuani remained on the substitutes’ bench.

Posh picked up j ust one point fromsixgamesinNovember, at Ipswich, andreturnedto the bottomofthetable. Theonloan signings of Dwight Gayle from Dagenham & Redbridge and George Thorne from West Bromreservesdidn’texactlyexcite concerned fans either.

Barnett after arriving at Ipswich and a couple of weeks before he picked up an injury and returned to London Road. After seven defeats and a draw in eight gamesPoshtravelled to Championship leaders Cardiff ( 10 home games, 10 wins) for a ritual slaughter.... andpromptly won 2- 1.

Bolton werethenbeaten5- 4 as Gayle and Thorne turned out to be brilliant signings and Wolves were despatched 3- 0 at Molineux as Posh threatened to finish a rather poor year in some style.

Gayle was signed on a permanent basis for a cool half a million pounds ( but Thorne wasdisappointinglyrecalledby West Brom) and made it seven goals in six games with anoth- er strike in a big Championship relegation battle at Bristol City.

Unfortunaately that wasthe last act in a 4- 2 defeat for Posh that left them 23rd and deep in relegation trouble as a troubled year came to an end.

Posh were still in the Championship though and that remainsafantastic achievement.

Darren Ferguson after the win at Cardiff.

Dwight Gayle scores in the shock win at Cardiff.