ROVERS are finding the answers to the questions that are being asked of them in this excellent winning run which has hauled them firmly in to the automatic promotion mix.

For the second time in a five game winning run they have been forced to come from behind. On that occasion, against Bristol Rovers, it was their bench which came to their rescue. Here, it was a 13 minute salvo at the start of the second half which swept aside Peterborough.

When Rovers up their intensity few look able to match it, with Peterborough adding to the list of casualties which had already included Bury, Oxford, Bristol Rovers and Blackpool who had been hit by a relentless period of play from Tony Mowbray’s men.  

Their second half blitz owed much to Bradley Dack. With the clinical finishing of a striker, the workrate of a holding midfield player and creativity which befits someone occupying that key number 10 role, Dack has become Rovers’ go-to man in the last six weeks. He scored twice, having been involved in the goal which drew Rovers level, and was once again at the forefront of everything good they did.

Dack had looked Rovers’ biggest threat in the first half and would have handed them the lead in the opening 10 minutes were Jonathan Bond not to deny him first with a low stop diving away to his right before quickly getting to his feet to save the follow-up when the attacker looked certain to score.

Dominic Samuel, who had shown a good understanding with Dack, should well have added to his recent goal tally in the fourth minute when he met Richie Smallwood’s cross inside the six yard box only to see his header fly over the bar.

So it was against the run of play when Rovers fell behind in the 11th minute, the first time they had conceded in the opening quarter of a league game this term. Marcus Maddison whipped in a corner in to a packed six yard box which found Steven Taylor unmarked at the far post where he couldn’t miss.

Posh’s lively front three of Jack Marriott, Maddison and Gwion Edwards were picking up pockets of space between Rovers’ midfield and defence and causing them as many problems as any side has this season with their movement. However, they were restricted to efforts from range with Marriott and Edwards twice failing to trouble Raya while Maddison’s 25-yard free-kick was straight at him.

Trailing at the break, Rovers had plenty to improve on, but the opening 45 minutes will have given them hope that they were far from out of the game. And two minutes after the re-start they hauled themselves level, Dack’s corner finding its way through to Charlie Mulgrew who capped his player of the month win with his eighth of the season.

They weren’t done there. Having sat off too much in the first half, Richie Smallwood snapped in to a tackle and after picking the pocket of Chris Forrester he played the ball to Dack before following his pass and then cutting the ball back for his team-mate to slam home his seventh of the campaign.

The game was completely turned on its head before the hour mark as Dack scored his second of the afternoon at the end of a devastating counter-attack. Rovers went from their own corner flag to 3-1 up in the space of 15 seconds as Craig Conway’s clearance from his own corner flag found Samuel who in turn freed Marcus Antonsson on the left and he squared for Dack whose charge through the middle was ended with him rifling in to the roof of the net.

He almost repaid the favour to Antonsson moments later, only for the Swede to be denied by an excellent fingertip save from Bond.

Peterborough had conceded twice in injury time to draw at Charlton in their previous league outing so were never going to give up, and set plays looked to be their best route back in to the game. A Maddison delivery caused mayhem in the Rovers area, and only after a mass scramble in their own six yard could the visitors clear their lines with 10 minutes to go.

The game wasn’t to end without something of a grandstand finish, as moments after being denied by an excellent Raya save, Marriott swept home Posh’s second from Danny Lloyd’s cross as Rovers were opened up on their right. But the hosts’ chances of a similar comeback to the one they had been on the receiving end of last time out weren’t help by Jack Baldwin’s red card as he picked up a second yellow for a foul on Dack.

And so Rovers were to hang on for a fifth consecutive league victory for the first time in 17 years and with it moved within a point of the automatic places. With players in form, the backing of a strong away following and a terrific team spirit, this team look like they will take some stopping.