McCann’s worst day as Posh manager?

PETERBOROUGH manager Grant McCann launched an astonishing attack on his own skipper Chris Forrester and keeper Luke McGee after a late collapse.

Posh looked set to pick up a point for their play-off bid at in-form Walsall until all hell broke loose in seven minutes of stoppage time.

McGee – earlier involved in a shoving match with his own defender Dominic Ball – fumbled former Posh man Erhun Oztumer’s corner into his own net to give Walsall the lead.

Peterborough’s players howled for a foul on the keeper by Amadou Bakayoko and Forrester was sent off for his protests before Kieron Morris sealed the points for Walsall with the game’s last kick.

McCann, though, backed referee Mark Haywood’s decisions saying: “This could be the worst day of my managerial career.

“We’ve lost Gwion Edwards, who has been excellent for us, to injury, my captain’s been sent off and we’ve handed the game to Walsall just through our lack of discipline.

“First, my players want to fight each other at a corner. Then our goalkeeper throws one in from a corner and then my captain wants to shout at the linesman. I don’t know what he said to him but that will be dealt with inhouse. The discipline was nowhere near good enough.

“Luke’s been very good for us this year but I’ve watched it back and the contact for the goal is minimal. It’s a mistake. I’ve watched it back and I’ve got no complaints about it.”

McGee had impressed in the first half, making cracking reaction saves to foil Simeon Jackson’s closerange flick and, right on half-time, a powerful shot from the marauding Jason McCarthy.

The Posh keeper clashed with Ball early in the second period before Peterborough’s best chance saw Junior Morais’ 20yarder clawed out of the bottom corner by Walsall stopper Neil Etheridge. But McGee’s howler and Morris’s late strike made it four straight home wins for Walsall, who are just a point behind Posh in a congested play-off race.

Saddlers boss Jon Whitney said: “I know Erhun is claiming the first goal but Amadou’s challenge makes it I think.

“It looks like the keeper palms it in but it’s definitely Ama’s challenge that forces it. But it wasn’t a foul. It was a really clean jump from Ama.

“I think overall we deserved it but I’m a bit biased!”