Darren Ferguson: Peterborough boss proud of youngest team in League One

Peterborough are two points behind second-placed Bolton in League One

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson hailed the character and resolve of his young team after they beat promotion rivals Derby in stoppage time.

Following last season's play-off heartbreak against Sheffield Wednesday, third-placed Posh are just two points below the automatic promotion places.

They conceded after 20 seconds at Pride Park and later trailed 2-1, but two late goals gave them a 3-2 victory.

"The calmness in the players was bang on," Ferguson said.

"We stuck to the game plan and responded to going behind very well and I thought we thoroughly deserved the win.

"I am so proud. They are the youngest team in the league and, I think, the youngest team throughout all the (top four) leagues. They are so together and they don't know when they're beaten."

"The character the boys are showing, it's the key ingredient to being successful. If you haven't got that, you've got no chance and these lads have got it in abundance at the moment."

Monday's win at Derby, thanks to 21-year-old Ricky-Jade Jones' 94th-minute goal, followed a point against Barnsley in their previous game. They are now unbeaten in 10 matches in all competitions.

"We've played two teams who in my opinion will be up there and we've fought back twice now - 2-0 against Barnsley when they were well on top and playing ever so well - but still we find a way of getting something," Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"This was a much better performance than Friday and a game, I would have been disappointed to draw it, never mind lose it.

"When it went two all I thought 'come on we can go and win this'. That's why we put David (Ajiboye) at right-back to just keep running past them. I didn't see any need to make wholesale changes while the game was going on because we looked fresh."

Next up for Posh is a home FA Cup third-round tie against Championship side Leeds United on Sunday.

"Leeds are a good team. I actually think they're quite similar to us with the pace they've got in the front four," Ferguson added.

"We've had 12 days on the bounce, no days off. We'll have a breather now and I'll have a couple of days to think about that."