CITY 4 PETERBOROUGH 0
One of Nigel Pearson’s assistants has been heard to comment that the physical state of a team’s dressing rooms can have a bearing on the outcome of a match. His view was that teams visiting the Walkers’ Stadium, on occasions, played better because the showers worked.
However, either the visitors’ dressing room has been downgraded, or it made no difference because Peterborough United did not have a rewarding afternoon at the Walkers’ Stadium.
Solid grey skies and wet seats greeted 23,390 fans. (Position of writer – Block H, Row F, Seat 140!)
Nevertheless, the atmosphere was positive; recent results have been good, if not spectacular. There was a sense that a decent home victory was on the cards. The good attendance was a possible reflection of quietly raised expectations. We were not disappointed.
The team was as expected with Berner and Davies holding their places. Cisak, Powell, Dickov, Gradel and Morrison were on the bench: a strong affair by any standards.
Peterborough fielded Lewis, Mackail-Smith, Boyd and Mclean, all of whom had been performing well in recent weeks. Peterborough were fourth in the table that morning.
The game was on. Peterborough pressed, gaining two corners in the first four minutes. The mood was brittle. Tunchev cleared….
Good work was done in the top right hand corner and the ball came across. Peterborough’s number four, Craig Morgan, took a wild kick at it and the ball was in the net. Own goal. Foxes one up after 6 minutes. All rather surprising – welcome, but surprising.
Anyway, the game progressed. Mackail-Smith was quick and dangerous, but Tunchev and Hobbs were playing high and dealing with the treat promptly and effectively.
A buzz of excitement swept the ground every time Fryatt took the ball. Oakley was presiding in midfield like a true Captain: calm, well-disposed, energetic and skilled. Later in the game, he was to demonstrate on two occasions a delightful first-touch pass to Dyer. These passes really do leave the opposition flat-footed. Oakley had a game and a half all round in fact. Some of his interceptions were majestic. Earlier in the season he had seemed irresolute, but no longer. He stood out. On one occasion, Howard missed another of these sublime passes: to play with Oakley, wits need to be at full stretch.
One possible criticism might be levelled at the Midfield. Was the positioning somewhat loose on occasions? The right to roam seemed to be taken rather literally during some periods.
Moreover, Peterborough was still very much in the game, but Lady Luck was not with their team when in the 29th minute Maclean hit the post and Mackail-Smith hit the bar.
Despite this drama, Leicester were never less than comfortable on the ball. The tempo was invigorating. The shape was intact. Fryatt picked up a less than inch perfect pass on the right, slunk round the goalkeeper and slotted the ball into the net – a trademark goal in the 38th minute. He just doesn’t miss these opportunities these days. He is no roofer of the ball, but he is clinical in the operating theatre.
Dyer was up ended. Oakley took the free kick and nearly scored through the wall. Leicester maintained the pressure, and when Boyd broke away, the defence was up to the task. 2-0 at half time.
There were no Leicester changes at half time. Coutts came on for Westwood for Peterborough. Restart began at 16.06.
Berner, Dyer and Oakley linked up well on the left. Davies began to come in to the game. He is short and definitely quick. Fryatt was lurking dangerously and in the 53rd minute had another shot blocked. In the 60th minute, King rose to meet a corner, connected and the ball flew straight at Lewis who collected it gratefully – a harbinger of things to come.
The tempo fell away. It looked as if Leicester might settle for a 2-0 win and ease up. That was a misleading thought.
In the 69th minute, after Dyer was fouled on the edge of the area, Oakley stepped up with a well-directed strike into the box and King, hovering like a kestrel, rose to translate the ball into a high velocity bullet in the back of the net.
Dickov came on to replace Fryatt in the 72nd minute, Oakley took a knock. Mackail-Smith was withdrawn; having been effectively shut out of the game in the second half. Dickov earned a yellow card. Charlie Lee made an audacious run out of the Peterborough defence.
Howard was beginning to annoy: he featured throughout, but appeared not to know where the net was, but lo and behold in the 90th minute, Howard picked up the ball 30 yards out, looked up, saw there was no-one to pass to, took two more strides and from 25 yards, banged the ball with his right foot low into the left hand corner of the net.
This was interesting because it may demonstrate where the problem lies with Steven Howard: he is too unselfish. Ratchet out a couple of degrees of that unselfishness from Howard’s make up and Leicester might to have many more enjoyable home wins to their credit.
Leicester: Martin, Gilbert, Hobbs, Tunchev, Berner, Oakley, Andy King, Davies, Dyer, Howard, Fryatt (Dickov 72). Subs Not Used: Cisak, Powell, Gradel, Morrison.
Booked: Dickov. Goals: Morgan 6 og, Fryatt 38, Andy King 70, Howard 90.
Peterborough: Lewis, Martin, Morgan, Lee, Westwood (Coutts 46), Whelpdale, Keates, Crofts (Green 76), Boyd, Mclean, Mackail-Smith (Batt 76). Subs Not Used: McKeown, Blanchett.
Att: 23,390 Ref: Lee Probert (Wiltshire)
The views expressed in this report are the opinions of the Trust member nominated to file the report only and do not represent the views of the Foxes Trust organisation