Peterborough United

Posh give Benjamin free transfer
Peterborough director of football Barry Fry has handed Trevor Benjamin a free transfer despite having two years left on his current deal. The 27-year-old scored two goals in eight starts last season and spent four months on loan at Swindon. Dean Holden and Paul Carden will have requests for contract extensions discussed at a board meeting. Keeper Lee Harrison, full-back Peter Kennedy and centre-back Phil Bolland have recently left the club.

Alexander named new Posh manager
Peterborough United have appointed former Lincoln City boss Keith Alexander as their new manager. Posh director of football Barry Fry also interviewed ex-Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior for the position. Alexander, who played under Fry at Barnet, parted company with the Imps earlier this month. Posh have been without a manager since Mark Wright was sacked in January. Steve Bleasdale was appointed caretaker boss for nearly three months. Bleasdale resigned before Peterborough's game with Macclesfield on 22 April. Alexander guided Lincoln to the League Two play-offs for the fourth successive season.

Posh snap up Richards from Woking
Peterborough have signed prolific Woking striker Justin Richards on a free transfer, and he has put pen to paper on a two-year contract. Richards, 26, was the Conference's top scorer last season with 22 goals. "I am looking forward to working with (boss) Keith Alexander, he has a great track record," he told Posh's website. "I was in the Football League with Bristol Rovers, but I had no qualms about going back into the Conference to work my way back up again." Richards began his career at West Brom, making just two substitute appearances before spells with Bristol Rovers, Colchester and Stevenage. After moving to Woking in 2004, he scored 35 goals in 79 Conference appearances for them. He was also on target for the England National Game XI at the weekend.

Posh boss allowed shopping spree
Peterborough manager Keith Alexander has been granted permission to go ahead and purchase any players he would like by chairman Barry Fry. The Posh outfit sold defender Sean St Ledger to Preston last Friday and Fry has made the initial £225,000 payment available to Alexander to spend. Fry told Sir Stanley: \"He's (Keith) already been on the phone speaking to players, agents and clubs. \"I've given him carte blanche to bring in who he wants to bring in.\"

Posh will unveil ex-Imps star Yeo
Peterborough have said striker Simon Yeo will sign a contract with them on Tuesday, just before their friendly with Northampton at London Road. The 32-year-old front man has been the subject of a dispute between Posh and their League Two rivals Lincoln City. The Imps claim Posh have broken an agreement that boss Keith Alexander would not return to sign any contracted players from his old club. But Posh say Yeo is free to sign after his Sincil Bank contract expired. Yeo, who has had two spells with the Imps, announced at the beginning of July that he was turning down Lincoln's offer of a new contract. He featured in each of their four play-off campaigns during the last four seasons.

Branston completes return to Posh
Peterborough United have completed the signing of their former loan defender Guy Branston on a two-year contract. Branston, 27, has had two previous loan spells at London Road but now joins permanently on a free transfer after rejecting a new deal at Oldham. \"This deal is something we have been trying to do for a while,\" Posh boss Keith Alexander told the club website. \"I was aware of other clubs in for him, but we continued to talk to him and I am delighted Guy has agreed a deal.\" Branston was involved in a war of words with Oldham after turning down a new contract at Boundary Park. He claimed that \"it was the sort of money you would pay a young kid\", while Oldham hit back by saying that his basic salary was \"six times higher\" than some of their young professionals. The former Leicester trainee has made over 200 league appearances for Colchester, Plymouth, Lincoln, Rotherham, Wycombe, Peterborough, Sheffield Wednesday and Oldham.

Posh manager demands improvement
Peterborough boss Keith Alexander has told his players he expects a big improvement for Saturday's League Two opener against Bristol Rovers. Posh go into the game on the back of two defeats against non-league sides, a 3-2 loss at Kings Lynn and Saturday's 3-0 reverse at Rushden. He told Sir Stanley: \"I am looking for a response from my players and a big improvement. \"I am not in the best of moods but we have got this week to work on things.\" Alexander added: \"I have to be upbeat despite the poor showing in our last two games and we must improve so that we are ready for the weekend.\"

Solid Posh impress boss Alexander
Peterborough boss Keith Alexander felt his side \"looked solid all over the park\" as they beat Bristol Rovers 4-1. \"We were excellent from start to finish apart from the five minutes after the restart, where you would expect them to come at us,\" Alexander said. \"It's probably the best opening day win I've had for a while but leagues aren't won on how you do in the first game. \"Many a team have won the first game and gone on to do nothing, but I was very pleased with the performance.\"

Boston 0-1 Peterborough
Simon Yeo's header late in the game was enough to hand 10-man Peterborough all three points at the expense of Boston. Yeo rose to nod in from close-range after the ball had looped up off Paul Ellender following Jude Stirling's driven cross from the left. Boston had their chances with Mark Albrighton going closest - his effort pushed away by Mark Tyler. Posh were reduced to 10 men in the 50th minute when Opara was shown a straight red for appearing to elbow Albrighton. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boston Utd: Marriott, Canoville, Albrighton, Ellender, Tim Ryan, Green, Greaves (Holland 88), Galbraith (Farrell 71), Clarke, Joachim, Tait. Subs Not Used: Kirby, Talbot, Forbes. Booked: Ellender. Peterborough: Tyler, Arber, Branston, Plummer, Newton, Holden, Butcher, Day (Stirling 59), Crow (Richards 59), Opara, Yeo (Benjamin 86). Subs Not Used: Bailey, Huke. Sent Off: Opara (50). Booked: Newton. Goals: Yeo 86. Att: 3,528. Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).

Wrexham 0-0 Peterborough
Wrexham and Peterborough kept their unbeaten records in a stalemate at a blustery Racecourse Ground. The Dragons found the greater fluency after half-time as Chris Llewellyn hit the bar and Neil Roberts had a shot cleared off the line. Posh had their own chances and Dean Holden and Richard Butcher were just wide with good efforts. Matt Crowell nearly won it for Wrexham at the end, but his injury time free-kick hit the Peterborough bar. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wrexham: Ingham, Spender (Mike Williams 59), Steve Evans, Lawrence, Valentine, Mark Jones, Danny Williams (Mackin 59), Crowell, Done (Johnson 77), Roberts, Llewellyn. Subs Not Used: Michael Jones, Newby. Booked: Valentine. Peterborough: Tyler, Newton, Plummer, Arber, Branston, Day (Stirling 77), Holden, Butcher, Crow (Richards 55), Benjamin, Yeo. Subs Not Used: Carden, Bailey, Huke. Booked: Plummer, Branston. Att: 4,706 Ref: A Taylor (Cheshire).

Posh boss has not given Ince role
Peterborough manager Keith Alexander has not offered Paul Ince the post of assistant manager at the club. \"It is fair to say that I have spoken to Paul Ince and I do know him,\" Alexander told the Posh website. \"However, we have not offered him the assistant manager's job and he has not been offered anything as yet.\" Ince, 38 and a former England international, has been offered a player-coaching role with Swindon, who are managed by Dennis Wise. But Alexander went on to hint that Ince, who left Wolves in the summer, may be offered a playing contract at London Road. He added: \"We spent many an hour drinking by the pool in Portugal and at that time I enquired what his plans were. He can still play at a good level.\"

Peterborough v Macclesfield
Peterborough have midfielders Peter Gain and Paul Carden available as both have recovered from hernia operations. Striker Danny Crow faces a length lay-off with ankle ligament damage, while Lloyd Opara is serving the second match of a three-game ban. Macclesfield skipper Dave Morley is rated \"50-50\" with an ankle problem that will require a late fitness test. Striker Matt McNeil (groin) and Kyle Jacobs (back) are both doubtful, while defender Andrew Smart (ankle) is out.

Peterborough 3-1 Macclesfield
Trevor Benjamin scored two in two minutes to inspire Peterborough to victory over Macclesfield. Benjamin netted early in the second half with a diving header from Jamie Day's cross, then scored with a shot on the turn after a goalmouth scramble. The visitors' task was not helped when midfielder Kevin McIntyre was dismissed for violent conduct. An Andrew Teague own goal made it 3-0, before Macclesfield's Danny Swailes scored a late consolation. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Peterborough: Tyler, Newton, Arber, Branston (Huke 77), Plummer, Day, Holden, Butcher (Carden 70), Richards (Gain 65), Benjamin, Yeo. Subs Not Used: Stirling, Ghaichem. Booked: Arber, Benjamin. Goals: Benjamin 46, 48, Teague 62 og. Macclesfield: Brain, Regan, Teague, Swailes, McNulty, Heath, Hadfield, Tolley (Navarro 71), McIntyre, Robinson, McNeil. Subs Not Used: Miles, Lee, Brightwell, McDonald. Sent Off: McIntyre (55). Booked: Heath, Hadfield. Goals: Swailes 90. Att: 4,136. Ref: K Friend (Leicestershire).

Goalkeeper Tyler wins Posh praise
Peterborough boss Keith Alexander singled out goalkeeper Mark Tyler after his team's penalty shootout success over Championship strugglers Ipswich. \"Tyler was outstanding and made several remarkable saves, but all the lads played their part,\" said Alexander. \"I had nine players volunteering to take penalties and all our spot-kicks were first class. \"We produced a great fighting performance and beating a Championship side is a feather in our cap.\"

Futcher joins Posh from Grimsby
Peterborough United have signed defender Ben Futcher from League Two rivals Grimsby for an undisclosed fee. The 25-year-old has agreed a three-year deal at London Road after Grimsby signed Nick Fenton from Doncaster. Former Imps and Boston centre-back Futcher previously played under Posh boss Keith Alexander at Lincoln. Peterborough chairman Barry Fry told his club's website: \"It is another addition to our already impressive squad that Keith has assembled.\"

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