Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson felt his side should have been more ruthless following the 1-0 victory over struggling Fleetwood at Highbury Stadium.
A goal from Archie Collins just before the break proved to be the difference as Ferguson’s side made it five League One games without defeat.
In a first half that was dominated by the visitors, United had plenty of chances to take the lead with Ricky-Jade Jones and Kwame Poku coming close in the opening moments.
But Peterborough eventually broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute when Collins’ long-range effort deflected past Fleetwood goalkeeper Jay Lynch before nestling in the bottom corner.
Posh could have extended their lead in the second half when Lynch brilliantly stopped Jones’ close-range header while Posh goalkeeper Nicholas Bilokapic denied Ben Heneghan in the dying moments as the home side almost grabbed an unlikely equaliser.
Peterborough are now in the League One automatic-promotion places after four wins in their last five.
Ferguson said: “It should have been at least three after 10 minutes but it wasn’t. We started the game how I wanted us to with the authority we’ve got.
“But we’ve just got to be more ruthless, we’ve blown teams away at times but away from home against a team that’s not in form, if we get that second goal it kills the game.
“It wasn’t comfortable at the end and, ultimately, we’re hanging on in a game that should have been very comfortable.
“It was a good game to watch, I just wish we could have been more ruthless, but it’s another win and another clean sheet.
“The clean sheets are going to be key and if we can keep clean sheets like we have been then we’re going to have a bit of a chance.
“You’ve got to come to these places and beat what’s in front of you and today we did that.”
Defeat was Fleetwood’s sixth in a row in all competitions and they have not found the net in almost 10 hours of football.
Manager Lee Johnson said: “I think it’s been a massive effort to get that performance.
“I thought we rode our luck a little bit in the first 15 or 20 minutes but I think we did OK.
“I thought we defended OK and worked really hard and we went 4-4-2 to try and be more positive in the game.
“We had two golden chances really, in the first half with Josh Earl and then with Ben Heneghan at the end.
“We weren’t without chances and it’s another game where we haven’t scored and another game that we’ve conceded.
“On a positive note, I thought it was excellent to see how many of our academy players were in and around the first-team squad today and that’s nice to see.
“But we can’t be victims and we have to be fighters. We’ve got to get through January and we’ve got to get through this season and then I’m certain that this time next year the complexity of the league position changes.”
Klopp laments late lapse as Liverpool fail to see out win
Jurgen Klopp was lamented his side's late mistake as Liverpool gave up a two-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday.
The Reds were on top after a quick start as Emiliano Martinez gifted them an opener inside the first 61 seconds. Though Youri Tielemans equalised for Villa, Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah put Liverpool back in control.
Jhon Duran scored twice late on, netting in the 85th and 88th minutes to deny Klopp’s side three points.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the German admitted that though they could not see out the win, he was proud of his team’s performance.
He said: "It got away from us. We played really good football. We were really good, played a lot of good stuff and caused a lot of problems.
"Before we changed, we gave them too many chances. It was very intense for the boys. They created too much. They were too often in our box, and we made the changes. Then we made a mistake. It happens but in that moment, it opens the door.
"They scored an equaliser, and I don't even know how. The character from the boys tonight was outstanding in our situation. We wanted to win the game. In the moment, when we gave away the 3-2, that was really tricky. That's it, that's the story of the game."
It looked like Quansah’s goal would be the winner for much of the second half, with the young defender heading in his first goal for Liverpool.
"I've been waiting for that moment," he told the BBC. "I don't score too many goals, so when it goes in the back of the net you just saw the emotion come out I guess.
"I just tried to get the best contact on it as I could. I'm thankful it went in.
"The way the crowd celebrated was a surreal moment, definitely one I'll never forget."
Emery praises 'special' Duran in Villa comeback
Unai Emery has praised "special" Jhon Duran after his late brace secured Aston Villa a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday.
The Reds looked to be on their way to a 3-1 despite Youri Tielemans’ strike after Cody Gakpo and Jarell Quansah added to Emiliano Martinez’s early own goal.
However, Duran's 79th-minute introduction changed the game as the Colombian scored twice in three minutes to salvage a draw.
Villa needed a win to secure a Champions League spot, but a point keeps their fate in their own hands despite Tottenham having a game in hand against Manchester City on Tuesday.
Emery was full of praise for his forward, acknowledging how important his goals could be by Sunday.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Jhon Duran is a special player. We have to try and help him. He is a good guy, and he needs a team behind him. He is getting our demands better. He was very clinical and today was important for him.
"Today we are celebrating with our supporters, we have to push it and keep working and be consistent. We were consistent all the season. The team was being mature and always consistent in our mind. Inch by inch we did it.
"We are very proud of the season. It is not enough at the moment to get fourth. Even after we scored the two goals, we had chances. We are celebrating the season here with our supporters in Villa Park.
"We are only thinking of us. We will prepare for our match on Sunday, everything is in our hands."
Villa were on a three-game losing run going into the Liverpool contest, and John McGinn highlighted the team’s strong mentality to avoid another defeat.
"It's a brilliant effort towards the end. We got a bit of luck. It's been a tough few weeks with lads coming back and playing through the pain barrier. This place got us going," he told Sky Sports after the game.
"There's some of us that have never been close to the Champions League in our life. The manager has a no-excuse mentality. People have written us off and we've floated under the radar. We'll have our Man City tops on tomorrow.
"Big Jhon [Duran] is a bit nuts and is a nightmare to have in your team, but he's got quality. We need to keep his feet on the ground over the next couple of days."
Barcelona 2-0 Real Sociedad: Blaugrana back to winning ways to reclaim second spot
Barcelona reclaimed second place in LaLiga with a 2-0 home win over Real Sociedad on Monday courtesy of a Lamine Yamal first-half strike and a late Raphinha penalty.
Yamal put Barcelona ahead in the 40th minute when he coolly slotted home from Ilkay Gundogan's pass after a quick breakaway for his fifth LaLiga goal this season.
Raphinha's penalty in stoppage time sealed victory for the hosts after a VAR review for handball, leaving the Basque side in seventh place with 54 points, one behind Real Betis in the last Europa League spot.
Xavi's side leapfrogged Girona to move on to 76 points, one clear of their Catalan rivals who dropped points in Friday's 2-2 draw at Alaves.
Real Madrid have already secured the league title, sitting on 90 points with three games left.
Data Debrief:
Gundogan got a vital assist for Barcelona's opener, and has been involved in 193 open-play shot-ending sequences in LaLiga this season, more than any other player in the competition.
Barcelona have kept a clean sheet in both games against Real Sociedad in LaLiga 2023-24 (W2), achieving this in a single season of the competition for the first time since 2006-07, when they also beat them twice.
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