Peterborough provided an early warning to their play-off opponents with an impressive 3-0 win over Lincoln in League One’s early game.
Darren Ferguson’s Posh closed the gap to sixth to just four points ahead of afternoon games when they inflicted their first home loss to the Imps of the season.
Goals from Jonson Clarke-Harris, Jack Taylor and Joe Ward took a toll on Sincil Bank as the visitors won consecutive away games.
The home side were the first to show when Matty Virtue’s shot went straight into the side net.
Jamaican striker Clarke-Harris opened the scoring with his 24th goal of the season when he hit home after Harrison Burrows blocked a Nathanael Ogbeta cross from the left flank in the 28th minute.
After the break, Daniel Mandroiu nearly equalized but his free-kick hit the wall and post.
The score was almost 2-0 just before time when Ward’s half-round volley from the edge of the box missed the inside post.
But Taylor made no mistake in the 23rd minute when his finishing effort put the ball in the net.
And Ward added seven minutes in the third after he scored his second goal for the home side in as many games.
