Mixed emotions for Ferguson after Posh miss out on play-offs

Posted Sunday, May 05, 2019 by PA

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson was left with a mixture of disappointment and optimism at the end of the League One campaign.

His side were foiled in their bid to snatch a play-off place despite signing off with victory against Burton at the ABAX Stadium.

Ivan Toney hit the bar before laying on the 19th minute opener for Joe Ward and Posh’s lead doubled when Burton defender John Brayford steered a Jason Naismith delivery into his own net 11 minutes before the break.

Substitute Alex Bradley halved Albion’s arrears in the 84th minute, but top-scorer Toney had the final say when hitting his 22nd goal of the season with two minutes to go.

However, it was not enough to launch Posh into the top-six as Ferguson’s former club, Doncaster, held onto the final play-off berth.

Ferguson said: “We finished the job off in terms of beating Burton, but unfortunately for us Doncaster did the job in their game as well.

“It’s only natural for there to be huge disappointment when still having a chance of getting into the play-offs on the final day of the season and not making it.

“But the fans gave the players a fantastic reception after the game and I’m sure they can see why there is a lot to be optimistic about for the future.

“We finished the season strongly, we have a lot of very good players at the club and I know exactly what I want for next season. We’ve already recruited three new players and we’re looking to add another five as well.

“Myself, the chairman, the owners all want us to be in the Championship.”

Albion boss Nigel Clough was left to reflect on what might have been for his ninth-placed side.

He said: “We could have been 3-0 up inside the first 15 minutes, but we didn’t put our chances away.

“That was a theme for the whole game as we missed good opportunities which could have made the scoreline very different.

“It’s a shame we couldn’t get a result for our supporters who were absolutely magnificent. The feedback we’re getting is that people are really enjoying the way the team is playing at the moment.

“It’s important we try to play in the same way on the road as we do at home and that’s something we’ve tried to ensure happens.

“It certainly looked like we were the home team at times, but the clinical finishing of Peterborough was the difference between the two teams.”