HUDDERSFIELD Town were the victims as Peterborough finally ended their home hoodoo – and defied their lowly standing in the Championship.
The unpredictable nature of the division was on show again as sluggish Town, who were third going into the game, were well beaten by the basement side who had lost all five of their previous games on their own patch.
Adam Hammill’s introduction from the bench provided some impetus and a goal, but by then the damage had been done by George Boyd’s well-taken first half brace and Kgosi Ntlhe’s strike early in the second half.
Simon Grayson’s side never got a grip in midfield and too many Town players had an off night.
The boss was in the dug-out at a misty London Road after being laid low by illness on Monday and he started with the side on duty for the win at Birmingham and for the victory at home to Wolves on Saturday.
Skipper Peter Clarke, right back Jack Hunt and winger Danny Ward were the only players who played in the 2011 League I play-off final defeat by the Posh at Old Trafford – the last time the two sides met.
Centre back Anthony Gerrard was making his 300th start in all competitions and midfielder Oliver Norwood his 50th.
Striker James Vaughan and midfielder Adam Clayton also milestones – their 100th League appearances in each case.
Town had the first clear cut opening when Hunt was quick to pounce on a misplaced Grant McCann pass to play in Jermaine Beckford, but the striker slipped on the greasy turf as he shaped to shoot.
As play quickly switched to the other end Lee Tomlin picked out Saido Berahino, but the on loan West Brom teenager shot over.
Vaughan was busy down the right flank as Town worked patiently to pick holes in the home side’s 3-4-3 set-up, but it was Posh who staged the next meaningful attack in the 15th minute when Mark Little’s header from Boyd’s cross was held by Smithies.
Within 60 seconds the Town keeper was beaten by Boyd’s low angled shot into the right hand corner and for Town there was worse top come.
They dealt comfortably enough with the corner which followed Tomlin’s deflected shot, in the 22nd minute, but when a Town attack broke down two minutes later Posh pushed forward on the counter and the quick-thinking Boyd spotted Smithies off his line and lofted a 40 yard shot over the keeper’s head into the net.
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Beckford tired to follow that example three minutes later, but his long range effort drifted over.
