10 things I took away from Peterborough United's opening day victory over Bristol Rovers in the EFL Cup

Here are ten of my personal takeaways from Peterborough United’s opening match of the season...

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1- Fair play to Posh’s players. Their manager been at pains all week to stress how much faith he has in them; backing them to be able to compete at League One level, even without any new signings. He copped plenty of stick on social media and in pubs and offices too, I’m sure, for those comments so his players owed him a performance to go some way to justifying his words. They delivered for him and saved him and themselves from a further avalanche of criticism had Posh bowed out to a League Two side on opening day. There’s more than one way to motivate a player and it appears we’ve now seen Luke’s.

2- Before we get too carried away, despite the current expectations for Posh, this was a League Two side. I was disappointed in Bristol Rovers and thought they would offer more. They had lots of the ball in the second half but can anyone truly say they felt concerned at any point Rovers were about to score? I certainly wasn’t. Second half possession did not yield any sustained pressure and Posh even had good chances on the counter at the end. The hosts can only look back at a Riley Harbottle free header from a second half long throw as a moment they should have scored. The header was incredibly tame anyway. They resorted to going direct and a combination of the seven players that played in the Posh backline at different points in the game dealt with it well.

3- How good was it to see Tom O’Connor back? The centre-back was fit to play in a match for the first time since January 17 and slotted straight in. He looked up to the pace of the game and helped the backline keep a handle on a forward line that had started well, prior to the award of the penalty. This is not intended as a criticism to Mendonca as that would be wildly unfair but Posh seemed to have more control when O’Connor was on, with him marshalling the backline. Him coming through unscathed is an important as the victory.

4- On the flipside, expectations need to be tempered with Sam Hughes. I was as willing to believe the manager and chairman as anyone when they said he was “ready” but this proved premature, with Williams telling media post-match that he was being troubled by pain as he ramped up his training. The club have not yet got to the bottom of what this is. The truth is though, this is a man that has not played a match since April 2025. He missed an entire season after picking up a calf problem last summer followed by complications and multiple surgeries. Getting back out onto the pitch is going to be incredibly difficult and there will be setbacks along the road, even when he is back. Surely Posh have not build their squad with the expectation he would be able to play week in, week out? That would appear to be a significant oversight if so as those days still seem a long way away. Rio Adebisi’s scarcely believable lay-off is a spectre now beginning to loom over Hughes in the minds of many but still, it is important he is not rushed.

5- It would seem as if Hughes has handed over his captaincy to Alex Bass, perhaps another sign he is not expected to be a regular feature on the pitch in the near future. Williams has been very coy when asked the question about who his captain is and has, perhaps understandably, been reluctant to announce that Hughes is no longer the man. Bass took the armband yesterday. He said: “There’s a chance Bassy will be captain and there is equally a chance it will change. At the moment, I see him being in the team before anyone else then, depending on how people perform and who comes through the door, potentially that will change. It gives us an opportunity to have two captains as we have to nominate an outfield captain and Carl Johnston is an incredible leader.”

6- It is such a welcome sight to see two wingers just go at their defenders and want to get a ball in or make something happen. We’ve been subject to some absolute dross out wide in recent years. Few things are more frustrating than watching a tricky winger deciding to turn and pass back when an opening presents itself. That is not in the DNA of Edwards and Shofowoke.

7- Carl Johnston may make a midfielder yet. I don’t love it. Archie Collins has not been replaced the best part of a year after we ken he wanted to go and our best right back is being taken out of the position to cover in midfield. That being said, I was encouraged by his performance. He added a defensive solidity, someone happy to sit and someone who knows his limitations. Just win the ball back and move it onto others to provide the creativity, perfect. It’s the first time I’ve been able to see the vision.

8- The clamour for signings will not and should not go away. I’m sure the hierarchy will breathe a sigh of relief after that and I am pleased the horrible atmosphere a defeat would have created has been avoided but this squad is still desperately short. Posh have two wingers available with any first team experience and one is 17, the best right back is in midfield, the squad is light up top, in the number 10 and and in midfield. If Johnson is now a midfielder, its light at the back too.

9- Was anyone else watching the same game as Steve Evans? He claimed Riley Harbottle reaching up and punching was a harsh penalty. He then claimed Posh should have had two red cards. He was referring to a robust James Dornelly slide tackle that was rightly punished with a yellow card, even though he may have got some of the ball, and moment that has been described to me as a “playful” touch on the face by Harry Leonard. Evans called it a punch. Tweet me if you saw that, I’d like to think I didn’t miss Leonard landing a haymaker on an opponent…

10- It’s just nice to have football back and be celebrating a win. It’s been two years of a lot of criticising and no pleasure is derived from that, believe me. Much tougher tests lie ahead and nothing on Saturday has changed my mind that this squad- with no reinforcements- is among the weakest in League One but don’t underestimate the lift that win will give everyone. Let’s hope it will help these young lads hold their head high as they will need plenty more of the resilience they showed at the Memorial Stadium in the coming weeks.