Jayden Wareham scored the fastest away hat-trick in the club’s history as he bagged an eight-minute treble early in the second half after Patryk Sykut put the hosts ahead in the first period.

But Harry Leonard’s double salvaged a point for Posh at London Road.

Nicholson said: “We’re torn because we’ve had a first half where we’re a little bit lacklustre. We didn’t commit, didn’t really show what we’re about.

“The 15 minutes from half-time were one of the best 15 minutes of football I’ve been privileged to watch or be a part of.

“I thought it was outstanding. It was incisive, it was decisive. It was ruthless, fast, everything you’d want your team to be.

“It was really simple football done really well at pace and the goals were outstanding.

“I’ve been told it’s the fastest hat-trick in Exeter’s history which is fantastic.

“We were shouting at them to go again because Peterborough aren’t a team where you can go a couple up and calm down.

“It’s amazing how a little moment can switch momentum and give teams a bit of hope.

“All of a sudden it’s 3-2 and it’s a different feel and we’re hanging in there. That scoreline shouldn’t change how we go about our work, but it does.”

Posh fought their way back from two goals down to ensure they didn’t slip to a third straight loss.

Boss Luke Williams hailed his side’s comeback despite lambasting their shocking start to the second half.

He said: “It was entertaining for a neutral.

“We let ourselves down in some aspects, for sure. But we didn’t go under and you have to praise the fightback.

“The beginning of the second half we lacked intensity and aggression and they really hurt us.

“That sparked us into life which is a real shame because we should have come out better for the second half than that.

“It was a really poor example of coming out for the second period and thankfully we had the fight in us.

“It’s a shame we didn’t have that at the start of the second half because it would have been a different game, but we have to give them credit for the fightback.

“We have to do better than that. We have to find ways to have that respect for each other and we failed in that.

“Harry’s not at 100 per cent but is doing fantastic for us.

“I felt if anyone was going to score again that it would have been us. We were really applying the pressure. I was optimistic we would go and get one.”