SKIPPER SPARKS THE POSH REVIVAL
BEING hammered by irate fans does not bother Peterborough United manager Grant McCann, who felt his side have done his talking for him on the pitch with a comeback victory.
After eight games without a win and then going behind to a second-minute own goal by Hayden White, it looked like a rampant Bury would pull out of sight.
But, after Posh keeper Luke McGee saved with his feet from James Vaughan, Posh rallied and secured a deserved win with strikes from Chris Forrester, Marcus Maddison and Antony Kay’s own goal.
“It’s not so much relief – one thing I’ve done is not listen to people who want to hammer you or put you down, but the best thing to do is win,” said the Northern Irishman, who had not seen his side win since August 27.
“There’s pressure every day when you’re manager, but pressure is something you have to deal with and I’ve dealt with it my whole career.
“I think we’ve played as well as that but not picked up the results. Straight after they scored, we got a foothold on the game and we were creating chances.
“We were probably standing there thinking ‘here we go again’.”
McCann’s fullest praise went to captain Forrester, who ran on to White’s cross and played a lovely one-two with Tom Nichols before curling in the equaliser.
“That touch from the pass, never mind the finish, was top drawer,” added the Posh boss. It had looked like being a different result when White, under pressure from Tom Pope, turned Zeli Ismail’s cross into his own net.
McGee then saved from Vaughan, but Posh responded and deserved their equaliser. Early in the second-half Maddison side-footed into the far right-hand corner from ten yards, before Bury goalkeeper Ben Williams parried Nichols’ low cross onto Kay – who watched it hit his own net.
Bury boss David Flitcroft was named League One manager of the month this week after his side won five out of five in September, but since then they have lost all three matches.
The Shakers were missing suspended midfield duo Tom Soares and Jacob Mellis, and to compound their woe, striker Pope went off early after colliding with McGee and hearing a pop in his rib cage.
Flitcroft said: “It was the start we wanted, the start we talked about and the start we expected.
“I have to watch it back and see the impact of not having Popey on the pitch. Balls going forward kept coming back too early.
“Peterborough stepped up to the plate with wave after wave of attacks. The two goals after half-time, they are very poor.
“If your two midfield players are not operating like you want them to then it impacts what Zeli and Danny Mayor can do out wide.
“They locked down Zeli and dominated our midfield and that’s where they won.”