Peterborough 2, Southport 0.

Peterborough turned on a sparkling performance to dent Southport’s promotion hopes.

In the early stages, Southport played some powerful football, but the Posh defence weathered the storm.

Ritchie Barker, always a thorn in the Southport defence, snatched a 27th-minute goal for Peterborough, which was the turning point of the game.

Bobby Moss, who had been drafted into the side at the last minute when top scorer Peter Price went down with tonsillitis, floated a pinpoint cross to the head of Barker, and the ball was despatched into a corner of the net.

Southport lost their right winger Frankie Lee early on with an ankle injury, but substitute Mick Moore did some sterling work in his place.

Barker saw a shot beat Taylor and roll agonisingly towards goal, but Sibbald raced in to clear off the line.

Peterborough kept up the pressure after the interval and could have increased their lead but for some shoddy marksmanship from Barker and Robson.

Southport found the net in the 77th minute, when Redrobe ran the ball in from close range, after Drury had parried Fryatt’s cross, but the referee disallowed the goal for offside.

Southport threw everything into attack in the closing minutes, and Drury pulled off a wonder save from Redrobe. But it was Peterborough who made sure of the points only a minute from time when Jim Hall slid home a goal from close range after good work by Barker.