Posh will face Walsall in the next round of the Vertu Trophy after dispatching local rivals Northampton Town 3-0 at the Weston Homes Stadium.
After success in this competition, albeit under a different name, last season, Peterborough United are motivated for another appearance at Wembley Stadium and they moved a step closer with a comfortable 3-0 victory over local rivals Northampton Town at the Weston Homes Stadium on Tuesday night.
Already in control without finding the breakthrough, the Posh task got easier when TJ Eyoma was shown a straight red card for bringing down Malik Mothersille just before the interval and after the break, Darren Ferguson's men exploited the space left by the Cobblers, particularly in wide areas.
Abraham Odoh saw an effort kept out by goalkeeper Nik Tzanev and then saw a shot blocked as Posh started brightly and on 11 minutes, it was the post that kept the scores level with Odoh's effort clipping the outside of the woodwork.
Mothersille saw a curling effort beaten away by the goalkeeper on 32 minutes following a quick throw-in while Joel Randall sent a crisply struck volley wide.
Eyoma was shown a red card on 40 minutes for hauling down Mothersille after a clever Randall pass, but Harley Mills fired the resulting free-kick into the wall.
Mothersille was denied again by Tzanev on the stroke of half-time, but Posh were not to be denied two minutes into the second 45 minutes as JONES flicked the ball past the keeper from close-range after a low cross from Odoh.
On 52 minutes, Posh doubled the lead, DE HAVILLAND was intending to play a one-two with a team-mate, but his pass was intercepted by a defender, however that didn't deter the former Barnet man who curled home from 20-yards with his left-foot.
On 64 minutes, it was 3-0 as ODOH cut inside onto his right-foot and via a couple of deflections, found the back of the net to extend the lead.
Posh hit the woodwork twice in a matter of seconds on 73 minutes, Hector Kyprianou hit the post before Randall's header struck the bar.
Posh should have had a spot kick as substitute David Kamara was hauled down in the box while Randall and Kyprianou both went close to adding a fourth.
Posh: Blackmore, Collins (sub Kyprianou 46min), Mothersille (sub Jones 46min), De Havilland, Odoh, Randall, Nevett, Hayes (sub Kamara 66min), Dornelly (sub Katongo 53min), Mills (sub Sparkes 67min), Fernandez. Unused subs: Bilokapic,, Rose.
Northampton: Tzanev, McGowan, Hoskins (sub Findlay 71min), Fox (sub Pinnock 46min), Eaves (sub Dobson 81min), McCarron, Lintott (sub Licorish-Mullings 46min), Hondermarck, Tomlinson, Eyoma, Chouchane. Unused subs: Dadge, Willis, Wyatt.
Half-time: Peterborough United 0-0 Northampton Town
Full-time: Peterborough United 3-0 Northampton Town
Attendance: 2,549 (294 Northampton fans)
Referee: S. Tallis