Ferguson rues missed chances

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson refused to be disappointed despite seeing his side surrender top spot in League One.

Posh were held to a goalless draw by Notts County on an afternoon when both teams fluffed their lines in front of goal. Excellent opportunities were created and spurned at both ends with strikers Jake Cassidy and Luke James among the guilty men. Notts forward Cassidy misfired from close range on the half-hour mark after Liam Noble had slipped the ball into his path, before Reece Brown saw a shot well blocked by Christian Burgess moments later. Then it was the turn of Posh substitute James to sky a golden chance with 20 minutes to go after being released by fellow recent arrival Marcus Maddison. Wideman Maddison had earlier seen a low drive tipped round a post by veteran goalkeeper Roy Carroll. He then selfishly shot wide in stoppage time when having better-placed team-mates. Carroll also kept out a Jack Baldwin header in the first half. Ferguson said: "I wouldn't call it a disappointing result as we played very well in the second half, but it certainly goes down as frustrating. "We just couldn't get the final decision or the final effort right and that cost us in the end as we had good chances. "Luke &£91;James&£93; did the one thing you ask anyone in that position not to do - and that was lean back. Once that happened his shot was always going over the bar. "We created plenty though, and Marcus &£91;Maddison&£93; in particular has that little bit of magic to open things up. He gets into pockets of space and between the lines. "We might not have got the three points, but the think the performance is enough for us to keep our momentum building. If we continue playing like this we will win the majority of our games." Notts boss Shaun Derry, who completed a two-game touchline ban, felt a draw was about right. He said: "I felt we did ourselves justice, although we didn't deserve anything more than a point. "I could sense before the game that the players were ready. I knew the disappointment they felt after losing so late on against Bristol City in our last league game. "This was the most difficult team selection I've ever had to make as I had 18 lads training really well and pushing for a place. "The belief is there and performances and results like that can only help. We have only lost one in five and we have to take heart from that. "We do not want it overlooked but at the same time we do not want to get over-confident. "It will be nice to be back in the dug-out and my phone bill will certainly be less than it has been."