2014 EFL Trophy winners Peterborough United set up the chance to repeat the trick ten years later at Wembley Stadium after recording a comfortable and comprehensive 3-0 victory at Bloomfield Road against Blackpool on Tuesday night.
This victory has led the League One promotion hopefuls to play either Bradford City or Wycombe Wanderers under the world-famous arch in the first week of April and will find out their cup final opponents by tonight as the second semi-final takes place at Valley Parade.
After the Posh were beaten on their own patch by the same opposition at the weekend, manager Darren Ferguson couldn’t hold back his delight with the response his players provided last night. Speaking to club media after the game, he had this to say about his side’s stellar away performance:
“Delighted with the performance.
“Back to what we are all about, from start to finish, [we] dominated the game, fantastic football.
“To get a performance like that tonight in a semi-final away from home, clean sheet with three goals, I’m absolutely delighted.”
Composure. #pufc pic.twitter.com/vBZYjlIYZ8
— Peterborough United (@theposh) February 21, 2024
Not only did yesterday’s result mean so much to the club as a whole as they booked a trip to Wembley, but also as they were able to stop the rot, following four defeats in a row which have significantly dented automatic promotion hopes for Peterborough United.
Furthermore, the semi-final victory over Blackpool was a perfect way to go into Saturday’s massive Cambridgeshire Derby away at Cambridge United, who may be without head coach Neil Harris, according to the latest reports.
Ferguson also highlighted how far captain Harrison Burrows has come in the last few months, with the academy graduate’s two late goals ending up being decisive for the visitors:
“The boy’s a proper player, he’s got a great temperament, he’s grown into a man now through the way he speaks, with the players with myself, the staff, the way he’s taken over the role of captain and he’s one of your own.”
Writer’s View
Burrows was at the final in 2014 to watch his boyhood club lift the EFL trophy after a 3-1 victory over Chesterfield under current boss Ferguson and will be hoping that this time, he is the one to lead the players out and win the competition.
Peterborough United will look to take last night’s victory into the league, where now only three points are keeping them in the playoffs after a dreadful start to February. But with all smiles from the gaffer and a trip to Wembley in the diary, it could be an enjoyable end to the season for Posh fans.
