Preston North End set to face wounded animal after Peterbrough United's heavy loss in midweek

The Posh are fighting for the lives in the Championship and are two points from safety, currently occupying the final relegation place.

They were beaten 4-0 at Cardiff City on Wednesday night which leaves them 12 adrift of the Bluebirds, who are just two places above them.

Against one of the closest teams to them, it was a huge chance to claim some much needed points to aid their bid to prevent an immediate return to League One.

In the end, they were outclassed and Posh boss Darren Ferguson, who signed a new three-and-a-half -year contract in November, did not hold back when speaking after the game.

“I’m devastated – it was a humiliation and a complete embarrassment to the club,” he said. “To perform at the level in a game of that magnitude will never, ever be acceptable.

“I cannot take one positive out of that. I could have made two subs after 25 minutes.

“It was an unbelievable performance.

“I have to apologise to the fans because that was an absolute embarrassment. It’s the only way I can describe it.

“It could have been four or five after 20 minutes, I could make a sub, but I’ve got so many players that can’t last 90 minutes.

“From top to bottom, in terms of the fundamentals, they annihilated us. To see a performance like that is worrying.”

“You have to show bloody fight and be professional and yes again, I’ll take responsibility, but these players have to take some responsibility for that performance.

“Watching people just run past them and beat them up, it was absolute nonsense.

“We all knew this month was pivotal to the season, the biggest we’ve had since last April and we’ve started well in the cup and you think hopefully it’s not another false dawn, but the manner in which we lost was just simply not acceptable.”

He was their joint top scorer and their best player so far this season, now leaving a greater burden on others to dig themselves out of trouble.

Jonson Clarke-Harris is the man they will look to for goals, his five leading the way now.

Jack Marriott has scored plenty for the Posh before, but never at this level, and Callum Morton failed to find the net at Fleetwood Town in League One in the early part of this season. The task to stay in the second tier is looking tougher and tougher for former North End boss Ferguson but a reaction to such a disappointing defeat could be on its way.

Preston have won two of 12 at the Weston Homes Stadium across league and cup, though those two wins have come

in their last four games at Posh.

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