The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Fight goes on to the final day
There was delight as well as disappointment for manager Darren Ferguson as Posh finished their home programme in League One with a drab 0-0 draw against Bristol Rovers.
That result enabled Bolton Wanderers to confirm their place in the League One playoffs with a 2-0 home win over Fleetwood Town leaving Posh in a Sunday shootout with Derby County to claim the final spot in the post-season action.
Ferguson admitted his side missed a great opportunity to increase the pressure on the Rams who were also held at home, 1-1 by Portsmouth.
But he also praised his players for taking the season to the final game, something that looked most unlikely when Ferguson returned for his fourth spell in charge following a damaging 3-0 home defeat at the hands of Wycombe Wanderers on New Year’s Day.
Both Posh (at fourthplaced Barnsley) and Derby (at third-placed Sheffield Wednesday) have tough final day matches.
Derby have a two-point advantage and a superior goal difference.
"This was a missed opportunity 100 per cent, because if we had won we would have
been level with Derby,” Ferguson stated.
"It’s going to the last day though and when I walked in, I would have taken that. It’s hard to get a team in bad form going, but we’ve managed it. It was my biggest challenge as a manager and I’ve given everything.
“It would not be a massive surprise for us to beat Barnsley and for Derby lose to Sheffield Wednesday. Derby have a big advantage so we have to hope we win and they lose, but stranger things have happened.
“We just have to beat Barnsley. We can’t control anything outside of what we do. If we don’t do our job - like we didn’t against Rovers - then we aren’t going to get in the play-offs.
“I’m sure we will take fans in big numbers to Barnsley. Our fans were magnificent on Saturday. They drove us on and they kept going. That’s the best they’ve been this season and it’s just a pity we couldn’t get a goal for them.
“We haven’t scored in three games out of the last four, which is unusual for us. We haven’t scored in six games at home since I’ve been back either, which really isn’t a good stat.
"I have to put that down to us not scoring from set pieces so we just have to keep scoring from open play.
"We had 12 corners against Rovers and we didn’t make their goalkeeper make a save. The number I could give you for the corners we have taken and not scored from this season is incredible.
"Over the course of the season, you have to get your fair share of goals from set-pieces. It’s one reason why we are getting so many blanks.
“We started the game very well, but there were periods where we became too frantic. We were lacking in the final ball and final shot. We just didn’t have the killer touch.
“I can’t fault the players, until the last second they gave absolutely everything. They couldn’t have given any more to try and win a game.”
**The League One table above does not include the Wednesday night game between Burton Albion and Cambridge United.