A new manager, but the same old problems

A new manager, but the same old story for Peterborough United.

All season Posh have seen progress halted by unfathomable home defeats and this one was probably the most damaging of them all.

Rochdale can join Gillingham, Blackpool, Oxford and Southend as struggling sides to have returned home from the ABAX Stadium with three points. This reverse has happened to late for it to be corrected.

A win, and the opportunity was there as Dale were reduced to 10 men with virtually 40 minutes to play, would have capatulted Posh into fifth, a useful buffer with games away at two of the top three to follow.

Instead Posh face those games at Blackburn and Shrewsbury in ninth place with much ground to make up on the coveted play-off places.

Posh struggled 11 v 11 and showed little to suggest they were going to fight back from Ian Henderson’s 16th-minute goal for the lowly visitors, but the goal-scorer’s stupid red card for an assault on Gwion Edwards changed the game completely.

Posh improved considerably when presented with a man advantage and created enough chances to have won comfortably. Sadly they found a visiting ‘keeper in Josh Lillis in fine form and they lacked the composure and ruthless finishing to convert any number of dangerous crosses into the penalty area. Crucially none of the golden opportunities fell at Jack Marriott’s feet.

Jack Baldwin and, in the last minute, substitute Danny Lloyd were both thwarted by the skills of Lillis, who also kept out a six-yard header from Gwion Edwards when the Posh midfielder should really have left him with no chance.

Lillis may even have deserved his moment of good fortune when his clumsy attempt to keep out Lloyd’s piledriver was punished by Edwards, but an assistant referee rushed to raise his flag, wrongly according to those who watched the club’s dvd.

Posh deserved more despite playing pretty poorly. Rochdale are fighting for their lives, but they are far from a good side even if they have taken six points from Posh without conceding a goal this season, a pretty neat summary of a major problem.

Crucially none of the golden opportunities fell at Marriott’s feet.

Gwion Edwards (left) in action for Posh against Rochdale.