Back From the Game-Posh 3 Royals 1

[RepressedRoyal]

Summary

1/Got in car and sat in traffic from the M3 Basingstoke to Peterborough
2/Just had time for a quick pint on arrival
3/Got metaphorically pinned to wall by Posh fan who bored us sh1tless about his daughter who played for Farnborough ladies
4/Stuffed down an indigestion inducing KFC
6/ Got in to ground and listened to Reading fans singing songs about stabbing the citizens of Swindon and their undying love for Fabrice Muamba, both irrelevant to the task in hand I thought.
5/Watched us go ahead before being torn apart by Boyd and Taylor on the counter attack and at set pieces
6/Watched us huff and puff in the second half then concede on counter attack
7/Got a brief moment of pleasure as the other Boro equalised at West Ham
8/Got back in car to hear the nauseating school masterly tone of a rather smug Neil Adkins on Radio 5
9/Drove through miles and miles of traffic signals on the A1 that now resembled a funfair ("Hold tight, hold tight...extra ride this time)
10/Veered in and out death defying makeshift contraflows on the M3
11/ Got home and told my son it was a character building evening, an essential requirement as a Reading fan

It really was just one of those nights, nothing went right from the minute I departed my house. We didn't play that well but could of got something, but ultimately we were done by the better team as we never rid ourselves of their threat. They (Posh) always looked dangerous going forward, whilst we looked stale at times, probably fatigue setting in after 3 away games. It had to end somewhere, I would at least rather it was at the hands of good but unoffensive side like Boro than a bitter defeat against the run of play at Upton Park or St Mary's!

One to forget quickly, both mentally and financially, after all we are still right in there, I just hope the players (I am sure most do) understand what an expensive ordeal it can be going to midweek away matches.

Bring on the tangerines.

[Big Foot]

Second best in all departments tonight

[RepressedRoyal]

Second best in all departments tonight

Agreed

[Winchester Royal]

Hopefully just an off day, and a reminder that there is no place for complacency in these final 8 games.

We didn't really turn up, looked like a lack of confidence (surprising after the recent run), and once it went to 2-1, only briefly looked like getting back into the game.

[Negative_Jeff]

A night off work for that shit
I really must be mad
A comprehensive stuffing
We really were that bad.

Second best all over
I`d be positive if I could
But this results been coming
We really ain`t that good.

This lot in the Premier
Please don`t make me laugh
We cannot keep possession
Or play in our own half.

A pint in town beforehand
Sort of compensates
Jeffery Hudson Bitter
Really suits my taste.

So seasiders next home game
And Olly`s passing game
Unless we`re in their faces
Jeff says more of the same.

[CayeneMatt]

Summary

1/Got in car and sat in traffic from the M3 Basingstoke to Peterborough
2/Just had time for a quick pint on arrival
3/Got metaphorically pinned to wall by Posh fan who bored us sh1tless about his daughter who played for Farnborough ladies
4/Stuffed down an indigestion inducing KFC
6/ Got in to ground and listened to Reading fans singing songs about stabbing the citizens of Swindon and their undying love for Fabrice Muamba, both irrelevant to the task in hand I thought.
5/Watched us go ahead before being torn apart by Boyd and Taylor on the counter attack and at set pieces
6/Watched us huff and puff in the second half then concede on counter attack
7/Got a brief moment of pleasure as the other Boro equalised at West Ham
8/Got back in car to hear the nauseating school masterly tone of a rather smug Neil Adkins on Radio 5
9/Drove through miles and miles of traffic signals on the A1 that now resembled a funfair ("Hold tight, hold tight...extra ride this time)
10/Veered in and out death defying makeshift contraflows on the M3
11/ Got home and told my son it was a character building evening, an essential requirement as a Reading fan

It really was just one of those nights, nothing went right from the minute I departed my house. We didn't play that well but could of got something, but ultimately we were done by the better team as we never rid ourselves of their threat. They (Posh) always looked dangerous going forward, whilst we looked stale at times, probably fatigue setting in after 3 away games. It had to end somewhere, I would at least rather it was at the hands of good but unoffensive side like Boro than a bitter defeat against the run of play at Upton Park or St Mary's!

One to forget quickly, both mentally and financially, after all we are still right in there, I just hope the players (I am sure most do) understand what an expensive ordeal it can be going to midweek away matches.

Bring on the tangerines.

A good report.

[Stuka]

Peterborough United Football Club:


Peterborough Cathedral:


Evensong at Peterborough Cathedral:

[Gordons Cumming]

A night off work for that shit
I really must be mad
A comprehensive stuffing
We really were that bad.

Second best all over
I`d be positive if I could
But this results been coming
We really ain`t that good.

This lot in the Premier
Please don`t make me laugh
We cannot keep possession
Or play in our own half.

A pint in town beforehand
Sort of compensates
Jeffery Hudson Bitter
Really suits my taste.

So seasiders next home game
And Olly`s passing game
Unless we`re in their faces
Jeff says more of the same.

Excellent.

POTD

[Norfolk Royal]

Dear oh dear, what a shocker.

Agree with the first report, we were second best all over the pitch tonight. Peterborough had pacy and skilful players in midfield and attack, passed it around on the deck to each other Swansea style, then in Barnett, had a centre forward who looked a constant threat, in short, everything that we were not on the night.

In Paul Taylor they had a player of good skill who controlled the ball, always passed to one of his own players, drew our defenders in, then released it to one of their dangerous looking wingers. Why Taylor isn't playing for a bigger club I just don't know on that evidence, by far and away the best player on the pitch, confirmed by his MOM rating at the ending.

Karacan and Leigertwood were overrun time and again in midfield, Jobi had an off night, Gorkks had an absolute mare (two goals conceded from corners with little or no challenge) Pearce was only slightly better but exposed for pace.

Roberts looked good in patches but by the end his attempts at drawing fouls, although it worked on occasion, became tiresome, and was eventually sussed by Peterborough's centre half who returned his muscle with some interest, all culminating in Peterborough's third goal when Roberts lost out on the edge of the Peterborough area trying to draw the foul. The ball was then hoofed straight back up the pitch for the perhaps inevitable exposure of our defence and the third goal.

The real enigma was Kebe again. I took a mate with me, a Spurs fan, who spotted with no prompting that Kebe must be carrying an injury, which we know he is of course. But he kept asking why Kebe was on the pitch in that case. A good point as in the second half he should really have been taken off as we had HRK on the bench. I can only imagine Kebe stayed on in the hope that he would produce a piece of magic, as indeed he did for the first goal. But that never happened so perhaps a misjudgement there.

So did any of our players come out of that with any credit? Well, yes, Noel Hunt. He was our best player by a large margin and was noticeably the one who looked most gutted at the end by our tepid display. He fought all night and well done for that.

Harte looked tidy at times but his set pieces were not up to their usual standard, which was disappointing. There was a brief period in the second half when we were 2-1 down when I felt Leigertwood did at least get his foot on the ball a few times and start to impose himself. That lasted for about 15 minutes before Peterborough got hold of it again.

One can only imagine that Peterborough must be inconsistent, noted by their manager after the game, as playing like that they should be in a much higher position in the table.

We were well beaten by the much better side on the night so dust ourselves down and move on. Some consolation that West Ham failed again with Middlesborough's late goal and obviously we can do better than that.

[RockheadRumple]

Would someone make a .gif of Kebe's amazing run for our goal please?

[teignmouth hoops]

Oh well can't win them all, but we looked tired tonight, and were decidely second best. At 2-1 we put pressure on for a good 15-20 mins and you felt sure an equaliser was coming, for them to breakaway and outpace Harte and win the game 3-1. Still if we're going to lose a game better against some one low down than one of our rivals Player ratings:
Feds 6(1st straight above him from corner, 2nd another header from corner, 3rd forward outpaced defence
Mullins 4 (poor game, no pace needed Cummings)
Gorks 6 (worked hard)
Pearce 7 ( ditto)
Harte 5 ( average)
Ledge 8 (immense tried to stem tide)
karacan 7 (worked v.hard and for last 30 mins as full back)
Mcanuff 5 (just didn't come off for him)
Kebe 6.5 ( moments of brilliance, moments ofKebe
Roberts 8 ( battled well all game)
Hunt 6 ( not a lot apart from goal)
Subs:
Le Fondre 5 (no impact, did zilch)
Church 5.5 ( tried in short time he was on)

[Hampshire Royal]

That's probably the best report I've seen on BFtG, NR.

[Tony Le Mesmer]

Who didnt see this coming?

3 away games in 8 days finishing against a team that took us apart at home. Not a surprising result at all.

I still think that If we win 4 of our last 8 we will go up. Thats 82+ points and no one else apart from Soton looks like getting that many at the moment.

[loyalroyal4life]

Summary

1/Got in car and sat in traffic from the M3 Basingstoke to Peterborough
2/Just had time for a quick pint on arrival
3/Got metaphorically pinned to wall by Posh fan who bored us sh1tless about his daughter who played for Farnborough ladies
4/Stuffed down an indigestion inducing KFC
6/ Got in to ground and listened to Reading fans singing songs about stabbing the citizens of Swindon and their undying love for Fabrice Muamba, both irrelevant to the task in hand I thought.
5/Watched us go ahead before being torn apart by Boyd and Taylor on the counter attack and at set pieces
6/Watched us huff and puff in the second half then concede on counter attack
7/Got a brief moment of pleasure as the other Boro equalised at West Ham
8/Got back in car to hear the nauseating school masterly tone of a rather smug Neil Adkins on Radio 5
9/Drove through miles and miles of traffic signals on the A1 that now resembled a funfair ("Hold tight, hold tight...extra ride this time)
10/Veered in and out death defying makeshift contraflows on the M3
11/ Got home and told my son it was a character building evening, an essential requirement as a Reading fan

It really was just one of those nights, nothing went right from the minute I departed my house. We didn't play that well but could of got something, but ultimately we were done by the better team as we never rid ourselves of their threat. They (Posh) always looked dangerous going forward, whilst we looked stale at times, probably fatigue setting in after 3 away games. It had to end somewhere, I would at least rather it was at the hands of good but unoffensive side like Boro than a bitter defeat against the run of play at Upton Park or St Mary's!

One to forget quickly, both mentally and financially, after all we are still right in there, I just hope the players (I am sure most do) understand what an expensive ordeal it can be going to midweek away matches.

Bring on the tangerines.

Summary of the season! Look forward to the next one (hopefully goes much much better of course)

[Christof]

Good summaries here (esp. NR) - tired, lacking in confidence and belief, and some huff and puff 2nd half but ultimately beaten by much the better team on the night. We had been 'warned' about Taylor from a Posh fan in the pub beforehand, and he was indeed head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch.

Anyway, onwards and upwards.

[Gordons Cumming]

I knew they were a good team from their performance at the Mad Stad.

Suffer from a dodgy defence which undoes a lot of their good attacking play.

Not a surprise result for me.

How we respond to that performance is very important. No talismatic Roberts for a few games aswell.

Maybe a bit of a wake up call. Complacency may have set in a bit. Now we'll see how really good Brian is.

[Melton Royal]

Slightly irrelevant, but did anyone else notice that every Posh corner taken on the right in the first half was with the ball outside the quadrant

[russyb]

mcD always bangs on about the squad and you can't help but feel he should have used them more, 3 long away trips in a row is going to have an effect. The Posh were one of the better sides at the mad stad and we needed fresh players not the jaded ones that showed up last night at their place. Still onwards an upwards may give us fresh impetus to power on to the end.

[Stuka]

mcD always bangs on about the squad and you can't help but feel he should have used them more, 3 long away trips in a row is going to have an effect. The Posh were one of the better sides at the mad stad and we needed fresh players not the jaded ones that showed up last night at their place. Still onwards an upwards may give us fresh impetus to power on to the end.

Exactly. I'm hoping the Posh set pieces and counter attacks will give our guys something to work on and, as you alluded to give us impetus.

[3 veesinarow]

Coming straight off the back of the second half at Barnsley, it was extraordinary how they suddenly collectively fell apart last night. The contrast between Posh's balls to feet and our balls into touch was stark, exemplified by Legs passing the ball straight out of play from the re-start after we went 2-1 down. From Feds kicking straight into touch, through Harte overhitting free-kicks into the stands, to even Roberts knocking a simple lay-off out for a throw-in, we looked utterly out of touch in every department. The opening goal should have been enough for us to take hold of the game and close them out at our will, but it seemed to be the catalyst for every piece of poor ball control ever invented.

Conceding the first two from corners was very poor - no-one reacted inside the six yard box for the first one when it bounced loose and the second couldn't have been more of a free header if they tried. The third was utterly avoidable as it took less than 10 seconds to get from the edge of their box to the back of our net. There was no lack of effort from any player last night, but the skill and application had been left in the changing room and Posh, to be fair, took full advantage and thoroughly deserved their win.

The damage was limited by WH and Boro taking points off each other and Birmingham falling apart at Pompey, so let's put this in a box, stop comparing McDermott to some kind of blithering idiot after one defeat, and look forward - it's a game of football and we lost. Boo-hoo.