Peterborough manager lauds unique Reggae Boy

LONDON (CMC):

PETERBOROUGH MANAGER Daren Ferguson has backed Reggae Boy Jonson Clarke-Harris to continue his purple patch from last season, once the chances are provided for the prolific striker.

The 29-year-old has scored three goals in seven League One appearances in a bright start to the new campaign, following up on last season which saw him net 26 times to earn the coveted Golden Boot award.

Clarke-Harris’ last goal came on Tuesday when the east England outfit, nicknamed the Posh, thrashed Cheltenham 3-0 at London Road.

“It was good for Jonno to get a goal. That just shows what Jonno’s about,” Ferguson said.

“If he’s in a team that provides chances, as he has been here for many years, we know he’s going to score goals.

“It’s not about how we play because, really, the way we’re playing now is not too different to the way we played when we’ve had success before. Maybe we’re building up a little bit more from the back.”

He added: “But we know, if Jonno gets balls in the box, the boy scores goals. There’s no one in the league like him.”

Clarke-Harris’ sustained form comes in the wake of a deadline-day disappointment at the start of the month, when a reported £800,000 transfer to Bristol Rovers collapsed.

With agreement on all sides, Rovers then struggled to get the paperwork through by the deadline, leaving Clarke-Harris with Peterborough for another term.

The player had been transfer-listed by the club after they failed to gain promotion to the Championship.

Posh, who finished sixth last season, are already in and around the play-off spots in ninth on 13 points, and Ferguson said the group simply needed to become more clinical.

“We just need to keep working well as a group, because our final cross is not finding our men enough. We saw that again [on Tuesday] on many occasions,” Ferguson explained.

“But you can’t fault them, it was an important result for us because we hadn’t won in four [outings]. and it was a very disappointing performance, we felt, last Saturday.

“We looked to the three games in the week at home when we obviously wanted three wins, and we managed to get two and a draw, which is a disappointment, but we’re doing okay.”

Peterborough took on Bolton on Saturday at the Toughsheet Community Stadium where they drew 1-1.

Clarke-Harris was on the scoresheet in the 42nd minute.