Peterborough 1 City 2
As Nigel Pearson said afterwards, this was a match where the result was more important than the manner of winning it. City did not play the lovely passing game we have seen this season and instead resorted to high balls pumped forwards for the ever-willing Waghorn and the slightly less willing Howard to chase.
The team was unchanged from the QPR game but there the similarity ended. Apparently the pitch was partly to blame as the ball was bobbling about all over the place but surely at this time of year we should expect hard and bumpy pitches? Let’s face it, if they can’t get it right at Wembley, what hope have Peterborough got.
This match had banana skin written all over it: a team relegated and with only pride to play for, and a need to impress a new manager. Added to which, City’s record against them recently has not been good; last season they lost to Peterborough away, one of only four games they lost all season.
So full marks to the boys for overcoming a potentially tricky obstacle. Peterborough certainly didn’t play like a team who have earned so few points and someone unaware of the relative position of the teams might have thought that City were lower in the division….
Howard took his goal, in the 40th minute, with no little skill; as it was at the end farthest away from the City fans, I thought someone else had got the last touch. It’s good to see Howard playing with something like his form of last season, even if he does blame the officials or his team-mates when he makes a mistake!
Peterborough’s equaliser, in the 63rd minute was well-crafted, with a lovely pass to Rowe who scored with worrying ease. Fortunately City regained the lead only three minutes later through Andy King, who was unmarked to score close in with his head.
After that both sides huffed and puffed to little effect, although our hearts were in our mouths from time to time. A good afternoon was improved by the news of Blackpool’s heavy defeat at Newcastle and Swansea losing by a single goal to Bristol City, moving City up a place to 5th. That has given us a bit of breathing space but there is still a lot to do. And if we do manage to make the play-offs we will lose even more of our nails!
As for individual performances, the back four did sterling work, with Brown having one of his best games for some time. Morrison did a lot of work going forward, in the absence of a right-winger, to good effect. Wellens was less effective than he was on Monday – one his best games in a City shirt in my opinion – but King was lively. Spearing was largely anonymous although he worked hard.
One note of criticism about James Vaughan, who came on for Waghorn just before Peterborough equalised. He ran offside rather a lot but what was worse was how slow he was getting back; on at least one occasion he prevented a promising move because he was still in an offside position. We had a good view of Pearson and Shakespeare, and the former appeared to be remonstrating with him for this, although of course we could have read it completely wrong.
The City fans were bathed in sunshine for most of the match, both actually and metaphorically! Let’s hope the sun continues to shine for us, and we reach the promised land. After being in the ‘we don’t want to go up if we are coming straight back down’ camp all season, now it is looking a possibility I for one have had a change of heart. After all, even one season in the Premiership brings enormous financial rewards. Come lads, you can do it!
City: Weale, Morrison, Brown, Hobbs, Berner, King, Wellens, Spearing, Gallagher, Waghorn, Howard Subs: Logan, Bruce, N'Guessan, Oakley (85 for Spearing), Adams (85 for Gallagher), Kermorgant, Vaughan (61 for Waghorn).
Peterborough: Lewis; Morgan, Lee, Mackail-Smith, Rowe, Torres,Green, Bennett, Griffiths, Simpson, Geohaghon. Subs: McKeown, Wright (57 for Torres), Crook, Mills, McCrae, Appiah, Piergianni.
Referee: G Scott. Attendance: 9,651.
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