Peterborough United remain the Kings of Cambridgeshire after tense local derby win over Cambridge United

That Posh only won 1-0 courtesy of an early own is a most misleading summary. The all-round performance was excellent apart from the finishing which in itself led to nervy finale, but Posh delivered their most impressive defensive display for some time to seal three points.

It was a cracking occasion to be far with both sets of supporters in fine voice throughout. Posh should give thanks to Cambridge manager Mark Bonner for criticising the home support in his pre-match interview.

He would be better advised to concentrate on his own club as a season-long relegation battle looms, although they showed enough spirit and determination to suggest they’ll win it. They were far from full strength for this encounter.

To the surprise of no-one Posh named an unchanged team as they sought a hat-trick of League One wins. There was a welcome return to the substitutes’ bench for Ricky-Jade Jones with Joel Randall, on his birthday, dropping out of the matchday squad.

The teams hadn’t met for a long time, but it was obvious players with no experience of this particular derby were aware of it’s importance in this neck of the woods

Referee Scott Oldham took a lenient approach early on and the game was allowed to breathe as a result. Cambridge enjoyed the brighter start, but Joe Ironside spurned a half chance at the far post from a deep rightwing cross before Posh took control.

The rotations and movement of the three home midfielders quickly became an issue for the visitors with Harrison Burrows finding space particularly impressively.

It was Burrows who steered the first Posh chance wide of the post from Ephron Mason-Clark’s cutback on 14 minutes and two minutes later his shot from inside the penalty area after Jack Taylor picked him out was deflected behind for the a first corner of the match.

And Posh scored from it, or rather Cambrdge did as centre-back Lloyd Jones headed into his own net from Burrows’ delivery.

It should have been 2-0 two minutes later when Burrows and Kwame Poku released Mason-Clark, but his shot was hurried and travelled well wide.

Dan Butler then tested visiting ‘keeper Will Mannion with a low skidder from distance and a minute later Cambridge should have equalised.

Posh defended a long throw adequately, but not the follow-up and a precise cross from James Brophy should have been headed home by Harvey Knibbs.

That was the warning Posh needed that one goal is rarely enough and Jonson Clarke-Harris, who seemed to pick up an ankle knock in the early stages, soon forced another save from Mannion.

But it was Cambridge who came out of the blocks best on the resumption. A casual couple of moments in possession gave the visitors the oppotunity to spring forward and it took some good defensive blocks to keep them out.

Posh responded with Mason-Clark’s strong run from deep ending with a tip over save from Mannion when the ball might have been squared to Clarke-Harris.

Mason-Clark was in again 10 minutes into the second-half when a long ball fell kindly, but again he missed the target.

Jack Taylor then sent a header disappointingly wide from a Burrows cross as Posh resumed control, as those of a nervous disposition worried thet they would pay for missing so many gilt-edged opportunities.

And the moment arrived for Cambridge arrived 20 minutes from time when referee Oldham ignored Taylor’s appeal for a foul – to be fair it was a decision entirely consistent with his performance – and suddenly substitute Shilow Tracey was away. He slipped past Butler, but his shot was beaten away by Lucas Bergstrom and Cambridge never threatened again despite throwing many crosses into the penalty area.

Bergtsrom did see a kick charged down by Knibbs, but the ricochet favoured Posh.

And it was Posh who came closest to finding the second goal two minutes from time. Jack Marriott had only been on the pittch for two minutes when he swivelled an unleashed a fearsome left-foot that cannoned into a post.

Ultimately one goal was enough as Posh kept a first clean sheet since September much to the relief of the majority of a near capacity crowd.

Posh: Lucas Bergstrom, Dan Butler (sub Josh Knight, 90 + 3 mins), Frankie Kent, Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Thompson, Jeando Fuchs, Jack Taylor, Harrison Burrows (sub Hector Kyprianou, 86 mins), Ephron Mason-Clark (sub Kell Watts, 88 mins), Kwame Poku (sub Ricky-Jade jones, 73 mins), Jonson Clarke-Harris (sub Jack Marriott (86 mins).

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Ben Thompson.

Cambridge: Will Mannion, George Williams, Paul Digby, Lloyd Jones, James Brophy (sub Shilow Tracey, 66 mins), Jubril Okedina, Zeno Ibsen Rossi, Lewis Simper (sub, Sam Snith, 66 mins), Joe Ironside, Jack Lankester (sub Liam O’Neil, 66 mins).

Unused subs: James Holden, Greg Taylor, Saikou Janneh, Ben Worman.

Goals: Posh – Jones (og, 17 mins).

Cautions: Posh – Kent (foul).

Cambridge – Simper (foul). Williams (foul), O’Neil (foul).

Referee: Scott Oldham 8

Attendance: 12,766 (2,244).