The U21s lost their 5 year unbeaten record with a whimper at the main stadium today. A decent crowd and a lot of kids here on a sunny day, but the side could raise itself above a flat performance devoid of any real energy. A couple of key performers were missing but that doesn’t really serve as a reasonable excuse. In a game of 3 sloppy goals, Peterborough deserved their win. No teamsheet, which is becoming a bit of a thing lately.
Line-up (4-3-3): Joe Collins; Billy Clarke (s – Tom Searle 70m), Iestyn Jones (captain), Carter Heywood, Callum Deacon (s – Caio Ifans 46m); Harlan Perry (s – Josiah Kallicharan 84m), Milo Robinson, Yori Griffith; Josh Pescatore, Morgan Bates, Aimar Govea (s – Caleb Demery 70m).
Unused sub: Jakub Nowak (g/k).
We started ponderously and escaped a couple of early near misses – Posh centre forward Abbey had a snapshot pushed around the post by Collins and lively left winger Davies blasted wide after bringing the ball into shooting distance. Abbey had another attempt deflected wide. Both Peterborough wingers gave our full backs a testing time.
We seemed to be gradually forcing our way into the game when a straightforward ball forward was lost and Abbey seized possession inside the box to put the visitors 1-0 up. Both Abbey and Davies had further efforts before we equalised with a strange effort just before half-time – Morgan Bates getting headed contact to a free kick into the area only for Peterborough centre half Freeman to head the ball further beyond his own keeper.
Caio Ifans was introduced after the interval to get a tighter grip on right winger McWilliams-Marcano. Just 4 minutes into the second half, we created possibly our first fluent move when Perry sent Billy Clarke away to deliver an excellent cross for Bates to glance a header narrowly side with the keeper well beaten. Davies continued to present a threat at the other end and got beyond Clarke to cross low across the face of Swansea’s goal with no one to convert.
Yori Griffith was off-target with a strike from the edge of the area but we still weren’t in full control when some calamitous defending allowed centre back Mendonca to pot home a simple ball from close range to put Peterborough ahead one more.
We made further substitutions that didn’t really affect the game, went 3 at the back, but only looked more likely to concede again from breakaways. Our big chance came with a couple of minutes to go when good work by Demery and Griffith on the left found Josh Pescatore in space inside the area, only for his first-time left-footed shot to hit Peterborough’s Fox on the shoulder and deflect wide of goal. In fairness, an equaliser at that point would have been scarcely deserved.
Harlan Perry tried hard to change things, Morgan Bates always made himself available up front, but overall we didn’t trouble the Posh defence too much.
That 5 year run had to end sometime, it was a pity it ended in such a tame manner.
Goalscoring: Abbey (0-1 23m); Freeman own goal (1-1 42m); Mendonca (1-2 68m).