Three goals in the opening 15 minutes set Posh up for a pre-season win over Birmingham City.
Peterborough United opened up a 3-0 lead inside the opening 15 minutes against Sky Bet Championship side Birmingham City at the Weston Homes Stadium and came away with a notable pre-season friendly victory despite the Blues pulling the fixture back to 3-2.
It was Kwame POKU who opened the scoring for Posh, nodding home from close-range after Ephron Mason-Clark’s effort had only been half stopped by experienced Blues goalkeeper John Ruddy. On 11 minutes, Posh doubled the lead and it was a slick goal from Darren Ferguson’s men, plenty of incisive passing and when the ball was at the feet of MASON-CLARK, he cut inside and found the back of the net via the inside of the post.
Incredibly it was 3-0 on 13 minutes as Mason-Clark again caused panic down the left hand side and his cross reached midfielder Hector KYPRIANOU who controlled a lovely finish into the top corner with his right-foot.
The visitors reduced the arrears on 34 minutes as last season’s top scorer Scott Hogan took advantage of some hesitant Posh defending to race clear and force the ball past Posh goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic.
Tyler Roberts was denied by the Australian shot-stopper on 55 minutes by the near post before experienced front man Lukas Jutkiewicz headed over from 10-yards. Jutkiewicz did get on the score-sheet a minute from time as he side-footed home after good work from Keshi Anderson.
Manager Darren Ferguson said: “I was pleased. We made a really good start, scored some good goals and moved the ball well. We got a bit complacent for about 10 minutes in the first half, it was a little more difficult second half because they made a lot of changes whereas I wanted to try and get 90 minutes into everybody.”
Posh had another fixture away from home behind closed doors with minutes in the bank for a host of other players at that unnamed club.
Posh: Bilokapic, Burrows, Edwards, Crichlow, Clarke-Harris, Mason-Clark, Poku, Randall, Kyprianou, Collins, Kioso. Subs: Marcon, Ntege, Dreyer.
Birmingham: Ruddy, Roberts (sub Long 54min), Bacuna (sub Khela 79min), T. Roberts (sub Anderson 64min), Hogan, Oakley (Sub Williams 73min), Bielik (Sub Sunjic 56min), Dembele (Sub Jutkiewicz 70min), James, Longelo, Sanderson. Subs: Etheridge, Chang,
Attendance: 2,966 (1,033 away)
Referee: Neil Hair