Darren Ferguson: Peterborough boss told players not to let Wembley chance slip in EFL Trophy

Darren Ferguson is currently in his fourth spell as manager of Peterborough United

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson told his players not to let the chance of a Wembley final "slip" by in their EFL Trophy semi-final with Blackpool.

The Posh beat the Tangerines 3-0 in Tuesday's first last-four tie to book their place in the final on 7 April.

They will play Bradford or Wycombe - who meet on Wednesday - at Wembley.

"It's a brilliant feeling," Ferguson told BBC Radio Cambridge. "We played with that belief and courage and, for the whole club, it's a great day out."

Peterborough's win was their seventh game in a competition that has seen them beat Arsenal's Under-21 side and Blackpool - conquerors of holders Bolton Wanderers - on their way to the final.

They now have a chance to emulate their 2014 triumph in the knockout , during the second of Ferguson's three previous spells in charge.

The Posh boss said his message to his players during preparation for the semi-final was to make sure their hard work in reaching the latter stages of the competition - in the midst of a demanding League One campaign - did not go to waste.

"It's been building up and I kept saying to the players back in the group stage, 'It's worth it in the end, just get through these games'.

"We knew it would be a tough game [against Blackpool] and spoke in the hotel before about having your families at Wembley watching you when you come out that tunnel.

"You cannot have any regrets, you cannot get this far and let it slip and the players were outstanding."

Burrows has 'developed into a man'

Victory over the Tangerines was sealed by two goals, the first a penalty, in the last 10 minutes from captain Harrison Burrows - a graduate of the club's academy who was at Wembley as a fan when Peterborough won the trophy a decade ago.

Ferguson said the fact Burrows, 22, had such a key part in the result was fitting.

"I've worked with the boy for years - obviously over a couple of periods - and he's developed into a man now," he said.

"His leadership skills are getting better by the day. His performances at left-back this season have been outstanding. He got man-of-the-match and deserved that."

Ferguson said the club's chairman Darragh MacAnthony will be "delighted" with reaching Wembley but added his immediate focus will be back on "attacking" League One in their bid for promotion.

Posh travel to Cambridge United in a derby game on Saturday before playing seven times in March, with five of those games at home.

Ferguson's side are currently in the final play-off spot in sixth, three points above Stevenage, but only a point behind Oxford United immediately above them.

"We've fallen down a bit - we know that," he said.

"We've got to get going and we've got a lot of home games in March and we really need to attack that month."

Harrison Burrows (right) made his debut for Peterborough as a 17-year-old against Oxford United in an EFL Trophy tie in August 2019