TONY Mowbray says he will not be using the father of the man in the opposition dugout to motivate his players for the big promotion push.

Peterborough are the visitors to the Riverside today with Middlesbrough eager to keep up their winning run and stay in touch with Southampton and West Ham, who occupy the automatic Championship promotion spots.

While Posh are managed by Darren Ferguson, son of Manchester United manager Sir Alex, the prospect of facing Ferguson senior in the Premier League next season instead of junior will not be used as motivation by Mowbray.

He said: “I think the players, as with any footballer worth his salt, will want to play at the highest level they can.

“We have given ourselves an opportunity to go and compete in this league. If anything, you want the games to come and go pretty quickly and pick up points.

“There’s a lot of hard work in front of us. That’s why in training I’m at the players to keep the quality high and not to let what we’ve achieved so far slip. You’ve got to train properly and work hard every day and reproduce it on a matchday, because that’s the only way you are going to be where you want to be. There’s no short cuts.”

Mowbray will be hoping today’s clash is not a repeat of their visit to London Road where, despite a goal from Matthew Yates and vast amounts of possession, Boro could only come away with a frustrating draw.

He added: “Last time round, I felt we should have beaten them.

“It was one of those fine margin games where, while it didn’t fall against us at the end, it felt like it was two points dropped rather than a point gained.

“Particularly when we had only been there a few weeks earlier and beat them in the cup reasonably comfortably.

“It was a frustrating night – I think Saturday will be a totally different game. It will be a different type of Peterborough playing away from home.

“There will be spells in the game where they do manage to cut through you as a team. They play in between the lines, they have some good players who can pass and move the ball, so there will be spells where they will look a decent side.

“As we found out on Monday against Hull, they were a decent side who had spells as well. Yet you’ve got to be mindful of their strengths and nullify them as best you can.

“I think Peterborough is a good game for us as long as we apply ourselves, and anything less than total concentration and commitment and it won’t be a good afternoon for us.”

Mowbray also stressed the importance of putting games to bed early. On a number of occasions, Boro have gone in front only to be pegged back. He continued: “I think the games at home – like Coventry and Portsmouth – have seen some poor points dropped by us.

“We’re trying to rectify that. I’d like to think that by the end of the season, we’ll have won more games at home than we have away.

“To do that, we have to find consistency like getting back to back wins at home and try and make it three on the bounce against Peterborough, four on the bounce against Shrewsbury, five on the bounce against Burnley and so on. We have to try and keep going so that people don’t talk about indifferent home form, even though there’s only been one defeat in the last how many games it is.

“Obviously, it would help ourselves once we go ahead to establish a two-goal margin.

“That’s why we’re looking for a different balance up front – something different or somebody who’s coming in to try and prove himself and hopefully bring goals along with him.”