Aiming to keep their faint hopes of automatic promotion alive, Peterborough United will welcome relegation-threatened Fleetwood Town to Weston Homes Stadium on Tuesday night in League One.
Posh suffered a humiliating five-goal defeat at in-form Oxford United on Saturday afternoon, whilst the Cod Army secured a much-needed maximum over Northampton Town.
Match preview
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Following back-to-back wins in League One - either side of their Wembley heroics over Wycombe Wanderers in the final of the EFL Trophy - Peterborough's hopes of achieving a top-two finish are now in serious jeopardy after falling to a 5-0 defeat at Kassam Stadium versus Oxford on the weekend.
During their heaviest loss of the 2023-24 campaign, Posh were completely outclassed by Des Buckingham's side, who were three goals ahead at the break courtesy of Mark Harris, Josh Murphy and Ruben Rodrigues - the latter went on to secure his brace in the second period before Billy Bodin made it five in the final stages.
Having lost three of their last five League One matches since the middle of March, Darren Ferguson's troops are heading towards the dreaded playoffs in consecutive campaigns, with Tuesday's hosts currently nine points behind second-placed Derby County, although Peterborough have played two games fewer.
One of Posh's games in hand arrives at the Weston Homes Stadium versus Fleetwood on Tuesday night, when the hosts will be seeking to do the double over the Cod Army after their meeting at Highbury Stadium in December, with midfielder Archie Collins netting the only goal of that particular contest.
Peterborough have been the great entertainers in front of their own supporters this season, finding the net on 48 occasions during 21 League One matches at Weston Homes Stadium - only third-placed Bolton Wanderers can match that goalscoring tally at their respective home ground.
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Lowly-ranked Fleetwood managed to nip their six-game winless run in the bud on the weekend, putting two past mid-table dwellers Northampton at Highbury Stadium, keeping the Cod Army's faint chances of preserving their third-tier status for a ninth-straight season alive.
The Fishermen enjoyed a fast start to proceedings versus the Cobblers and were ahead after just five minutes courtesy of Promise Omochere's sixth of the league campaign, and the hosts were able to double their advantage on the 30-minute mark through the strike of Bosun Lawal.
Keeping his feet firmly on the ground despite Saturday's success, Charlie Adam will be keenly aware that his side have still only won twice in their last 13 league games, leaving Fleetwood a mountain to climb in order to avoid relegation, with Tuesday's visitors six points from 20th-placed Burton with only nine points to play for.
The Cod Army are winless in their last six outings in League One as they enter a three-game period in the season when only maximum points will do for their survival ambitions, although Fleetwood were victorious during their most-recent visit to Weston Homes Stadium in September 2022, when Josh Vela's scored the solitary goal of the encounter.
Providing much-needed experience in a relatively-young forward line, 30-year-old Jayden Stockley leads Fleetwood's Golden Boot race this season with nine league strikes, but the former Charlton Athletic ace is currently settling for cameos off the bench.
Team News
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Finding his side three goals behind at half time versus Oxford, Peterborough boss Ferguson made a quadruple substitution, with Ephron Mason-Clark, Josh Knight, Jadel Katongo and Joel Randall all leaving the field of play.
Posh are expected to make a number of changes to the XI which disappointed massively at the Kassam, meaning that the likes of Romoney Crichlow-Noble and Emmanuel Fernandez could be in line for rare starts.
At the other end of the pitch, Jonson Clarke-Harris could earn his with league start since February 10, despite a number of Championship clubs being interested in the striker.
After finding the net during the win over Northampton, Lawal should keep his place in the Fleetwood engine room alongside Bournemouth loanee Galvin Kilkenny.
Having helped goalkeeper Jay Lynch keep a clean sheet, Shaun Rooney, Ben Heneghan and Brendan Sarpong-Wiredu will all retain their spots in the back three.
Peterborough United possible starting lineup:
Steer; Katongo, Crichlow-Noble, Edwards, Burrows; Kyprianou, Collins, Poku, Ajiboye, Mason-Clark; Clarke-Harris
Fleetwood Town possible starting lineup:
Lynch; Rooney, Heneghan, Sarpong-Wiredu; Broom, Lawal, Kilkenny, Johnston, Mayor; Lonergan, Omochere
We say: Peterborough United 2-1 Fleetwood Town
After Saturday's disappointment at Oxford, Peterborough cannot afford any more slip ups in the race for automatic promotion, starting against League Two-bound Fleetwood on Tuesday.
The Cod Army were relatively-comfortable victors over Northampton last time out, but we do not envisage Adam's men making it back-to-back results at Weston Homes Stadium.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Carter White
