QUICK MATCH UP

Ipswich Town and Peterborough, who meet at London Road tonight, only met just over two weeks ago, Peterborough winning 1-0 at Portman Road in a League One clash, after Mark McGuinness' own goal gave them the points.

East Anglian Daily Times: Ipswich keeper Tomas Holy helps a crestfallen Mark McGuinness to his feet after he had put the ball into his own net last month, when Peterborough won at Portman Road.Ipswich keeper Tomas Holy helps a crestfallen Mark McGuinness to his feet after he had put the ball into his own net last month, when Peterborough won at Portman Road. (Image: Steve Waller)

Indeed, in recent years it's Posh who have held the upper hand in games between the two sides, although there have been plenty of draws.

You have to go back to 2012 to find the last time Town beat Peterborough in a league clash. They won 3-2 at Portman Road, thanks to Aaron Creswell's late strike, seven months after that infamous 1-7 defeat at London Road under Paul Jewell's reign.

Today, Peterborough are on a run of just one defeat in their last nine League One matches.


YO-YO PETERBOROUGH

Peterborough have settled into life in League One after a yo-yo period in their recent history.

They were in the Championship in the 2009/10 season, but within the space of four years managed to get relegated to League One, promoted to the Championship, then relegated again to their current position in English football's third tier.

KARL FULLER: Hope we go on an Oxford-style run

Now they are enjoying their eighth consecutive season in League One. However, the Posh are gunning for promotion back to the Championship. Last season saw a cruel twist of fate for them. Posh were just three points off an automatic promotion spot with nine games to play, when clubs in League One voted to terminate the season.

PPG condemned them to a seventh-placed finish in the adjusted table and just out of the play-off picture.

East Anglian Daily Times: Peterborough boss, Darren FergusonPeterborough boss, Darren Ferguson (Image: Stephen Waller)

Today, they are back in the promotion places and beat Crewe 2-0 at London Road on Saturday. Darren Ferguson, son of Sir Alex Ferguson, is team boss.


HOT SHOTS AND EX-COL U'S

Peterborough keep producing some hot-shot strikers.

Former Posh man Ivan Toney joined Brentford in the summer for a fee worth up to £10m with add-ons, after a stunning two-season spell with the club that saw him average a goal every other game.

East Anglian Daily Times: Jonson Clarke-Harris, who left Bristol Rovers to sign for Peterborough in a deal worth about �1.25million. Picture: PA IMAGESJonson Clarke-Harris, who left Bristol Rovers to sign for Peterborough in a deal worth about �1.25million. Picture: PA IMAGES (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Now, Jonson Clarke-Harris has stepped into Toney's shoes and taken over the mantle as the hot shot scorer in the team.

He currently has 14 goals, two behind the League's highest scorer, Plymouth's Luke Jephcott.

East Anglian Daily Times: Gwion Edwards and Peterborough's Sammie Szmodics in action at Portman Road last monthGwion Edwards and Peterborough's Sammie Szmodics in action at Portman Road last month (Image: Steve Waller)

Former Colchester United stars Sammie Szmodics and Frankie Kent are both playing with gusto for Ferguson's side. Szmodics found out at the end of last month he was to become a father for the first time. He celebrated with a goal, an assist and a man-of-the-match performance in Saturday’s win over Crewe.

If Peterborough do stay in the promotion race, their last four fixtures look tasty.... Charlton (a), Doncaster (h), Lincoln (h) and Doncaster (a).


HOME COMFORTS

Only one team has so far escaped from London Road with all three points this term.

Blackpool managed it thanks to Gary Madine's last-gasp winner in a 2-1 away win, while lowly Burton Albion earned a point from a 2-2 draw in October.

NORTH STANDER: Youngsters bring a breath of fresh air

But otherwise, most visitors have left London Road short-changed, with Posh wins over Fleetwood (2-1), Swindon (3-1), Oxford (2-0), Shrewsbury (5-1), Plymouth (1-0), Rochdale (4-1), MK Dons (3-0), Charlton (2-1) and the 2-0 defeat of Crewe.


NOT A GREAT PITCH!

Most agree the London Road pitch is not looking its best!

It cuts up badly and is very heavy. Whether it will survive the current cold snap for tonight's game to go ahead remains to be seen.

East Anglian Daily Times: Charlton Athletic's Jonny Williams (right) tackles Peterborough United's Jonson Clarke-Harris in a recent game on a very heavy London Road pitch!Charlton Athletic's Jonny Williams (right) tackles Peterborough United's Jonson Clarke-Harris in a recent game on a very heavy London Road pitch! (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)

For the home side, two games in four days on that heavy pitch will be sapping, but for Ipswich, buoyed by their win over Blackpool, it could be an opportunity to see off a side they have had trouble in beating for almost a decade!


WHO ARE YA?

Peterborough are nicknamed 'The Posh', a moniker coined in 1921, after Pat Tirrell, manager of Fletton United, was reported to say he was, 'looking for posh players for a posh new team.'

East Anglian Daily Times: Victoria Beckham in her first new store in Dover Street, central London.Victoria Beckham in her first new store in Dover Street, central London. (Image: Press Association Images)

In 2002 Victoria Beckham filed a claim with the UK Patent Office over the club's use of the name 'Posh'. The former Spice Girl, who was known in the group as 'Posh Spice', claimed, "the nickname 'Posh' has become synonymous with her on a worldwide basis."

She was unsuccessful in her suit.

Meanwhile, Ipswich Witches speedway team boss Ritchie Hawkins is a big Peterborough United fan!