Second half spell costs home side.
An explosive fifteen minutes either side of the hour mark saw Peterborough United race to a 5-1 victory against the U’s in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
Prior to that, the U’s had matched up the side that had been in the Championship last season, but Darren Ferguson’s men scored two goals of the highest quality to take the game away from the home side.
The U’s will be left to lick their wounds in the next few days, knowing that they have to pick themselves up and look to build on their impressive opening day at Gillingham.
The U’s made three changes to the side that had started in the weekend win.
Goalscorer Andy Bond came into the side alongside Clinton Morrison and Alex Gilbey, with Freddie Sears dropping to the bench and Marcus Bean and Gavin Massey rested.
The two teams traded shots from distance on the five minute mark, with first Tomlin firing well over, before Ibehre lifted his shot over the bar after good work by Morrison.
The U’s were looking good, with Dickson carrying on from where he left off on Saturday with his marauding runs down the flank.
They had the next sight of goal as a cleverly worked move saw Bond sidefoot an effort towards goal but, unlike his effort at the weekend, this one was comfortably blocked by the defence.
The U’s were left grateful to their keeper Walker on 17 minutes as he tipped away a McCann free kick, before Tomlin was unable to make the most of a good opportunity by firing just past the far upright, with Walker potentially getting a touch on it.
Posh were growing into the game, but Gilbey was certainly giving them plenty to think about and his first intentions when on the ball were to go direct to goal. One effort midway through the half saw him curl wide of the goal.
Chances were at a relative premium, and it was from a set piece that the next chance came. The ball found Bostwick on the far post and, under pressure and falling, he pulled his effort back past the opposite upright.
The visitors did get their goal five minutes before half time. A corner was recycled by the visitors, who pushed the ball back into the danger area with a great cross from McCann.
Zakuani was still up from the original set piece and he dived full length to divert the ball home and give the Posh the lead.
The U’s trailed at the break but they were level within two minutes of the restart.
A darting run from Gilbey got the U’s into the box, where he set Bond in by the byline. He found the waiting Morrison six yards out who, although he couldn’t turn and shoot, held on patiently to set up Ibehre to slam home a sidefooted effort.
However, the U’s found themselves behind not long afterwards, a poor back pass put Walker under pressure and his sliced kick was picked up by a Posh man.
Again the delivery into the box was of high quality and Barnett got up above David Wright to bury his header.
The U’s responded well and an Eastmond through ball looked like it might present Gilbey with a chance but he was quickly closed down and his shot blocked.
The U’s sought to build on their growing purpose in the game by making two changes with 25 minutes to go. Wright and Watt were introduced to bring some width to the game, replacing Gilbey and Bond.
The substitutes hadn’t had a chance to get into the game before the U’s fell further behind. The ball was worked to Rowe who unleashed a sensational finish that ripped past the helpless Walker and into the net.
And if that goal was good, Tomlin’s that followed soon after was just as high quality. The ball was worked quickly to him on the left and he cut in off the flank before bending one right into the top corner.
It was a disappointing end to an evening that had promised plenty when the U's drew level just after half time, but they will need to bounce back on Saturday against Port Vale.
The U’s had had the wind taken out of their sails, and found themselves further behind with ten minutes to go. Again the visitors moved the ball well, and it found Tomlin in space in the box, who drilled home to make it five.