A gulf in class ruthlessly exploited

POSH MIDDLESBROUGH Match details

Goals: Boro - Tavernier (27), Balogun (48), Coburn (83), Watmore (87)

Cautions: Posh - Kent, Knight. Boro - Tavernier

Referee: Leigh Doughty 6

Attendance: 11,757 (3,708 Boro).

The gulf in class between the Championship haves and the have-nots was confirmed at the Weston Homes Stadium.

Boro with two Premier League forwards, Folarin Balogun and Aaron Connolly, in their starting line-up were far too quick, far too clever and simply far too good for a Posh side forced to hand a debut to a young defender,

Emmanuel Fernandez, who they signed from Ramsgate in the summer .

Fernandez was predictably rushed off his feet by the pace of the game, but he was no worse than any other Posh player with the possible exceptions of Jonson ClarkeHarris and Jeando Fuchs, and the former was mystifyingly taken off at half-time.

In the five minutes before the break, Clarke-Harris created a golden opportunity for Sammie Szmodics to equalise before causing enough mayhem at a corner to force visiting ‘keeper Joe Lumley into his one save of the match.

Without their in-form target man Posh were limp and lifeless after the break and grateful that Boro only scored three more goals, two of them in the final 10 minutes from substitutes Josh Coburn and Duncan Watmore.

Posh actually started pretty well, but once a speculative 50-yard effort from Jack Marriott aiming at an empty net was thwarted by defender Paddy McNair, Boro took control.

A sweet strike from Marcus Tavernier gave them the lead midway through the first half and Balogun and Connelly should have added further goals in the next five minutes with the former denied by a brilliant goalline clearance from Josh Knight.

Posh preferred to use the speed of teenager RickyJade Jones to the muscle of Clarke-Harris in the secondhalf, but before the plan had a chance to take shape Boro effectively killed the game off with a second goal three minutes after the re-start.

Fernandez failed to make a simple clearance to give England Under 21 international Balogun a tap-in from close range.