The Checkatrade is not all bad

The Checkatrade Trophy does have its uses.

Keeping players like Ivan Toney in form for a start - he’s now scored five goals in his last six outings.

And for getting players back into form as Jason Cummings was also on target. His last two Posh goals have arrived in this competition and hopefully will be the catalyst for a first League One goal since August 25.

This was a stroll in St James Park for Posh. Manager Steve Evans started with eight of the team that had outplayed, but failed to beat Bradford, while League Two Exeter rested all bar five of their regular first team.

Dominance was pretty much guaranteed. It was goalscoring that proved the problem with many chances spurned, one kicked off the line and the woodwork struck twice before Toney opened the scoring with a close range header midway through the second half.

Marcus Maddison supplied the delicious cross for that goal and for the tap-in header Cummings converted 11 minutes later. Maddison, not the man you’d expect to be most motivated by a crowd of 746, also smacked a free kick against the crossbar.

Louis Reed hit a post withan audacious 50-yard shot after Exeter ‘keeper James Hamon had obligingly kicked the ball straight to him.

Cummings was the man to miss the best chances following passes by George Cooper and Maddison, but he was at least finally rewarded for his perseverence.

Exeter’s attacking threat was carried exclusively by fleet-footed forward Tristan Abrahams. He forced Conor O’Malley into one fine smothering save just before the break, but otherwise an unchanged Posh back four coped comfortably to ensure there was no chance of a repeat of the weekend’s late collapse.

Posh are now three wins away from Wembley. The Checkatrade Trophy is a long, often boring, old slog, but there is a glittering prize at the end.