BFC 0-2 Peterborough United, Sunday 7th May 2023

‘See you in the final.’

Another weird game. With play-offs secured and Mads rested/not risked, our main job appeared to be to avoid injury and be ready and fit for the challenge ahead. And I can’t blame the players – at half-time, with us one down, I was perfectly happy to let Posh win if it knocked Derby County out of the play-offs. (Posh needed to win and Derby lose at Washday.) Perhaps other fans felt the same, as shedloads stayed in the concourse at half-time to have another beer. I always thought they stopped serving once the game was underway, but I found otherwise.

So many of our players were below par. Kane gave the ball away 4 times in the first half hour, simple passes too. Jordan Williams appeared the player most likely to set up a goal – for the opposition. Phillips was so anonymous, he didn’t even blaze his usual shot into the crowd. Kitching found himself in their half, chased back…and still missed the cross for their opener (Johnson Clarke-Harris). And why did Bobby Thomas run to the line instead of being in the mix for the cross? He’s had a poor month or so, capped off with losing his man for the 2nd, a near post flick on. Is this one of our favourite goals to concede? Anyway, a fine time to lose form. At least Cole has an excuse….he’s never a footballer, nevermind a centre forward. I forget which former player said on the radio the other day ‘you’re only as good as your forward line’. In which case, we can say goodbye to promotion (but maybe a day at Wembley will pay for Cole’s replacement).

What did we have in attack? A couple of headers flicked wide from corners (Kitching and Thomas), a stabbed effort in a scramble (Kitching) and a Tedic header which was a goal all the way till the keeper got across to save. Duff says Tedic cost Man City 3 mill. He’s not worth that, but he looks the best we have. Actual movement before the ball comes in, not a reactive chase after a ball that’s gone.

We were so out of kilter in the final third that Cadden was given MOTM for…what? Putting in 4 low balls to that near post to NO-ONE? I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt – he played for that, the team have practiced that (!) and someone (anyone) should have been there. The 4th, Cadden actively avoided an easy cutback to put it in near the apex of the 6 yard box, where absolutely nobody was running towards. Well, nobody in a red shirt.

Yet some of the build up play was quite good (hence how Cadden, a wingback with no speed, had 4 opportunities to put the ball in). It was just that that penultimate ball always went wrong, meaning we’d almost get to their box, but not quite. Let’s put it down to not needing a win. Or let’s see if the rot has set in (Ipswich, MK Dons, Posh).

Onwards and upwards!

*** Cotter. Right wing back (Jordan switching to centre half) he dazzled at times, and found himself out of position at times. But he was certainly our most exciting player going forward. Just don’t take on that 4th Posh player!
** Isted. Made a few good saves and couldn’t do much with the goals.
* Cadden. 4 crosses to exactly the right place. Lineker woulda bagged a hattrick today.

Official MOTM: Cadden

Londontykes’ MOTM: 1. Cotter 2. Cadden 3. Isted

Despatches:
Another excuse for the defeat: we lacked star centre half and supporters’ player of the year, Mads Andersen (another poll I voted for the loser). Hopefully he’s back for the play-offs. And Derby never did make it. Those Reds fans who bleat on and on and on about every refereeing decision which goes against the Super Reds ought to have a look at this one, Curtis Davies sent off and penalty awarded for a foul that was never in a hundred years. Hilarious. (This will come back to haunt me when we get done by Washday in the final under similar circs.)

Drink du jour: Blue Moon in the Old Number 7. It dawns on me that a post-match drink does little to curb my efforts to avoid drink driving. At least with 3pm kick-offs, it gives a couple of hours for the effect to dissipate.

Away: 1,932. Whilst it’s always nice to see the away end celebrating (!) it struck me that in 40 odd years of supporting the Super Reds, I’m sure I’ve seen the visitors to Oakwell celebrate far more on the final day of the season than us. Or is my mind playing tricks on me? Anyway, I met several Posh after the match and they were very magnanimous. One even admitted we should’ve had a penalty (and not the keeper’s challenge on Norwood).

Today’s take home: People say you need momentum going into the play-offs. Well, we have that! (Losing momentum.)

The Damage:
c. £30 petrol
= £30

Barnsley 1-1 Peterborough, Saturday 18th April, 2015

'Everyone knows women only sh*t glitter and rainbows.'

It's official. Grogger's Rest, R.I.P.

For the first time in years we are facing meaningless end of season matches with 3 games left.  I s'pose we should be grateful, after stressful years of relegation battles.  Time to put our feet up, play a few youngsters and hope we get away with it.

So it was, Johnson had a starting 11 containing ZERO loan players.  FINALLY!  It's also a home debut for centre half Jack Cowgill, whose only previous experience was 10 promising minutes at Walsall while the away fans chanted 'You're not fit to wear the shirt' at the rest of 'em.  Some bloke called 'Digby' also got a runout.  I'd forgotten all about him.

'Toby, Toby!'

Cowgill has a 'mare.  He loses his footing on a throughball and Washington nips in to blast home. (The same bloke scored the goal of the season against us at their place).  Then Cowgill steps out to intercept another throughball, doesn't reach and Davies saves the resultant one-on-one.  Even headers were meekly nodded away.  He looked a bag of nerves.  He was also turned rather too easily and slow to react.  He looked faster than this at Walsall. Maybe their forwards are slower than Posh's?  After half an hour I told my dad he'd only played 10 minutes before today.  'He's still only played 10 minutes' came the response.  Although he improved second half, he was dragged off after 65.

Then there's Digby, in for Pearson.  Now, I like Digby, though he's hardly pulled up any trees this season. But what he does give is one-touch simple passing. Even Pearson has a tendency to take a touch to control the ball before playing the pass.  Still, someone has to provide all those square balls.

Spread yerselves out, lads.

The equaliser comes when Alnwick (he makes me panic) came running out of his box and the ball bounced clean over his head, for Hourihane to run onto and slips it home.  'Cept he doesn't.  He drags it wide with an open goal.  Good job it was on his left foot.  He could even have taken an extra touch, but no.  Someone put him out of his misery. Second half, he misses another sitter. Lalkovic (another one back from the dead) takes it to the byline, looks up, cuts it back and puts it ON A PLATE for Hourihane to sidefoot it narrowly high and wide from 10 yards.  Christ.  Someone put him out of his misery.

The midfield is completed by another return...Luke 'does nothing everywhere' Berry. I don't know about you, but it was a welcome return of the hairflicking.  He can control a ball, stride forward, and still find time to flick his hair before he makes a pass.  Well done that lad.

Bit sparse today.

As you can tell, we are going nowhere fast.  The only other shot (on target) I can think of was when...Lalkovic?  Winnall?...broke from midfield, beat 3 players, got chopped down and Scowen ran onto the loose ball to hit a soft effort to the keeper from 25 yards.  Then one of theirs gets a 2nd yellow for taking out Scowen and we've a chance.  Posh still look more likely on the break though but deep into injury time we get a corner.  Once again I take the acclaim for the goal, cos I was shouting at the keeper to come up (cos I was bored, not cos I was excited) and in the ensuing commotion, Luke 'does nothing everywhere' Berry scores a diving header from 4 yards.  Whatthehell?  A welcome reward for those of us who stayed.  (For some reason, the Ponty looked like the Stadium of Light, most had left with 5 mins left).

Even sparser, most left BEFORE we scored.  Ha!

Oh, and btw, we did send the loanees on in the end.  Declan John came on for an injured Smith and actually looked like he was trying to make things happen.  I s'pose these things are relative.  But he made runs, ran at people.  Usually lost it.  And Pearson came on to show Digby exactly what a square ball looks like.

MOTM is a bit difficult. No-one stood out for the 90.

*** Lalkovic. Looked like he meant business in the 1st half. Maybe the manager's criticism of the 'wingers not doing their jobs' gave him a bit of impetus?

** Scowen.  Does something everywhere.

* Berry.  Twitter MOTM (BEFORE his goal!).  Go on then, just for a laugh.

Extra despatches:

Good to see the return of Bree (on as sub).  Smith played well, but injured after 55 (hamstring?) Holgate got a run at centre half when Bree came on for Cowgill.  Some of Hourihane's deadballs were excellent, the rest of it wasn't.  Though I felt for him when he made a great tackle - and the ref gave a free kick and booked him!  How's THIS gonna encourage him to put a foot in?  (A minute later, a professional ankle tap from Digby, preventing a break, went unpunished 'cept for a free kick). Winnall was...I can't remember.  Did he do owt?  Nyatanga looked calm.  Needed to be.  Possibly could be more vocal though with the young lads.  Then again, when they improve, he's lost his place. And Davies saved that one-on-one but had little else to do.

Full-time.  'Well done'. 'Well done'. 'Good effort'.

Overall, today, I was pleased to see a few of our homegrown get a runout, but I was a bit gutted we didn't put Alnwick under more pressure, especially given we know how USELESS he is.  We just dinked crosses into his arms all day long.

I think today gave major clues for Johnson's plans for next season.  Crainie on the bench (out of contract), Nyatanga not.  Might we offer the latter a new deal?  I s'pose Crainie's too expensive.

Drink du jour: Southern Comfort and coke.  I had a right nightmare pre-match, Got served an IPA the barmaid claimed was a wheat beer...which then ruined the taste of my next 2 beers.  I don't think I've ever had this happen before.  Beers #2 and 3 (Brooklyn lager and a Corsican wheat beer) tasted EXACTLY the same.

Away: 380.  Or 318.  One of the two.  Looked more like 2 dozen.