Darren Ferguson: Peterborough boss says Salford tie can ease EFL Cup frustration

Darren Ferguson returned for a fourth spell as Peterborough manager in January 2023

Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson wants to use the FA Cup to help ease frustration at not progressing further in the Carabao Cup.

Posh lost on penalties to Mansfield Town in the third round, having led 2-1 in stoppage time.

The Stags then lost to Port Vale, who have bagged a last-eight tie against Championship side Middlesbrough.

Peterborough host League Two Salford City, co-owned by ex-Manchester United clubmates, in the FA Cup first round.

"The aim for us is to get into the third round and get a good tie," Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"We want to make sure the game's over if we can, we don't want a replay."

The opportunity to take a step towards a potential money-spinning tie against a Premier League club, is something Ferguson is hungry for in the light of their failure to see off Mansfield.

Despite leading 2-1 in the 92nd minute, Posh conceded a equaliser and eventually lost 3-1 on spot-kicks.

It still rankles for Ferguson, given they would have faced Vale, a fellow League One side, for a place in the last eight.

"The frustration for me is what happened in the other cup," he said. "Because, with how it's turned out, I feel it was a right opportunity to get into the quarter-finals."

Standing in Ferguson's way in the FA Cup are Salford and a tie that inevitably throws up his connection with Manchester United and the fabled Class of '92.

Six members of that academy year group, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville are all part-owners of Salford, having been part of United's great era of success under his father Sir Alex Ferguson,.

"They've decided to go into something different and obviously they've got a big connection to the Salford area," said Ferguson, who played 30 times for United between February 1991 and December 1993.

"They're trying to build something quite exciting and the most important aim for them is probably not the cup, it's to get out of that league."

Ferguson Jr's brush with the Class of '92

In Ferguson's Old Trafford career, his path rarely crossed with most of the '92 graduates.

But he was in the team when former Wales winger Giggs, who would go on to become United's all-time appearance record holder, made his debut as a substitute against Everton in March 1991, aged 17.

"I'm a bit older than those guys. I remember them coming through and you knew they would be pivotal to the club's success," Ferguson said.

"They just needed a manager who was brave enough to play them and my dad did that with no hesitation.

"It's very rare to get five or six players coming through together."

Darren Ferguson (back row, third left) and Ryan Giggs (back row, second left) played together in the FA Youth Cup semi-final in 1990 and would go on to play 24 times together in United's first team

The investment from Salford's famous owners enabled the club to climb the non-league football pyramid, reaching the English Football League in 2019.

The have remained in League Two since then and are currently 13th in the table.

They visit Peterborough with four away wins so far and the league's most prolific striker in 14-goal Matt Smith.

"Salford want to get out of League Two," Ferguson said.

"They've got a striker who's in really good form and we need to cut the supply to him.

"They've played well away from home. I've watched a few of their games - they play different formations and they're very fluid."

Posh's own form bodes well for their hopes of making it into the second round, having stretched their unbeaten run to seven games since their penalty heartache against Mansfield.

They have not lost a match in 90 minutes since 2 September.

"Momentum is big thing," Ferguson added. "I wanted us to maintain that on Tuesday [against Tottenham in the EFL Trophy] and Saturday will be same message - can we keep this going as long as possible?"