Hull manager Grant McCann refused to get carried away following a top-of-the-table success at title rivals Peterborough

McCann, a promotion-winning Posh player and former club boss, enjoyed a triumphant return as City eased past their 10-man hosts to pull three points clear at the League One summit.

The two sides went into the game locked together and Posh gained an early advantage thanks to Reece Brown’s eighth-minute opener.

Reece Burke headed City level in the 21st minute and they gained the upper hand when Posh had Ethan Hamilton dismissed just before the break. The midfielder’s late lunge on Lewie Coyle earned a second caution.

Posh man Joe Ward fired a free-kick against a post in first-half stoppage time, but City soon made the extra man count in the second period.

Keane Lewis-Potter completed the turnaround in the 49th minute before top-scorer Mallik Wilks struck from the penalty spot 10 minutes later to seal a fourth straight win.

McCann said: “It was a good performance and a good result.

“Peterborough are the best team in the league at home. Not many teams come here, go a goal down and come back to win so I’m very proud.

“Peterborough started very strongly whereas we started slowly, but we stayed calm and got ourselves level.

“The red card was clear. Lewie is in the dressing room strapped up and was lucky not to have his leg broken by the challenge.

“Some might say the sending-off was a pivotal moment, but personally I feel we would have won the game 11 v 11 anyway.

“This win is no more significant than the last one to be honest, though.

“If we had lost I would probably have been asked if it was our automatic promotion hopes gone. That’s how quickly things change. There are still a lot of games left and lot of twists and turns ahead.”

Posh boss Darren Ferguson admitted: “We were outstanding for the first 20 minutes and I couldn’t believe how much we were in control.

“We caused them all kinds of problems from minute one and could have been three up but then conceded a terrible goal from a set-piece.

“I thought Ethan’s first booking was soft as it was his first tackle in the game, but once cautioned you have to stay on your feet.

“Watching the second challenge live I actually thought it was Ethan fouled, but having seen it back it is a yellow card.

“I told the lads at half-time that we were still very much in the game but we conceded two more dreadful goals.

“Rather than focusing on the red card, we have to look at the manner of the goals we gave away. That hasn’t been good enough of late and the opposition haven’t had to work for it.”