Posh back to winning ways in the league after a 3-0 victory over Cheltenham Town at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Peterborough United eased to a comfortable 3-0 win over Cheltenham Town in Sky Bet League One action on Tuesday night with Harrison Burrows, Jonson Clarke-Harris and Peter Kioso on target against the Robins, who ended the game with nine men.
Cheltenham were reduced to 10-men inside the opening three minutes as James Olayinka was shown a straight red card for a high challenge on Ephron Mason-Clark on the edge of the Posh box. Mason-Clark was straight down the tunnel to receive stitches in a nasty head wound after four minutes getting treatment on the pitch.
Mason-Clark took close to 15 minutes to return after stitches, sporting a rather fetching headband to protect the affected area as Posh finally got themselves back into a numerical advantage. Liam Sercombe crashed a shot against the crossbar from long-range on 34 minutes as the visitors caught Posh on the counter-attack.
Harrison Burrows saw a shot blocked by Freestone before Kyprianou fired over on the turn as the fans became frustrated. A Kioso effort struck Freestone on the face on 49 minutes and diverted onto the outside of the post as Posh came close to an early breakthrough in the second period.
The deadlock was broken on 53 minutes as a cross from Poku was only half-cleared and the loose ball fell to a grateful BURROWS who lashed home with his left-foot from close-range. The lead was doubled just before the hour mark as Burrows turned provider as his corner was powered home from close-range by Jonson CLARKE-HARRIS.
Southwood produced a fine stop to keep out a low Mason-Clark effort on 66 minutes as Posh pushed for a third goal. Randall flashed a shot inches past the post on 70 minutes before he was replaced by Zak Sturge.
Cheltenham boss Wade Elliott was cautioned by the referee for dissent on 71 minutes, much to his bemusement. Kyprianou side-footed over on 84 minutes after good work from Clarke-Harris as Cheltenham gave the ball away in a key area.
Cheltenham were reduced to nine men moments later as substitute Butler-Oyedeji was shown two yellow cards in quick succession, the second for a late lunge. Wakeling headed over from a Knight cross as the game went into five minutes of added time.
Posh did make it 3-0 deep into stoppage time and it was the goal of the night, skipper Peter KIOSO with a superb effort from distance into the bottom corner.
Posh: Bilokapic, Burrows (sub Jones 87min) , Kioso, Edwards, Knight, Collins, Kyprianou, Poku (sub Wakeling 77min), Mason-Clark, Clarke-Harris, Randall (sub Sturge 69min). Unused subs: Talley, Katongo, Crichlow, De Havilland.
Cheltenham: Southwood, Bevan, Freestone, Sercombe, Keena (sub Butler-Oyedeji 75min), Ferry (sub Chapman 86min), Olayinka, Bonds (sub Williams 86min), D'auria-Henry (sub Hammond 61min), Malcolm (sub Street 61min), Davies. Unused subs: Harris, Williams, Bradbury.
Half-time: Peterborough United 0-0 Cheltenham Town
Full-time: Peterborough United 3-0 Cheltenham Town
Attendance: 5,845 (92 Cheltenham fans)
Referee: Scott Oldham