The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
WARD’S WONDER GOAL
Posh - Big match preview as Coventry City visit the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday (3pm)
Peterborough United manager Darren Ferguson has urged his fringe players to be prepared to play.
Siriki Dembele, Rhys Bennett and Joe Ward all came in from the cold for last Saturday’s 2-1 League One win at Gillingham with the latter opening the scoring with a quality goal.
“The players that came in did well,” Ferguson, who was celebrating his 400th game as Posh boss, said. “It shows the value of being patient. This is the squad until January so I need everyone ready to play.”
Report and reaction from Posh v Accrington last night is on www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk.
Former Peterborough United striker Matt Godden will be a big hit at Coventry City, according to the man who let him leave the Weston Homes Stadium.
Posh boss Darren Ferguson sanctioned the sale of a 28 year-old who scored an impressive 18 goals in his one season at London Road.
But a reported fee of £750,000 and the player’s determination to play first-team football led to Godden’s departure albeit on excellent terms.
Godden has scored four goals in 14 appearances for Coventry and could missSaturday’s game against Posh at the Weston Homes Stadium because of a groin injury which may require surgery
“Matty Godden is the perfect professional as I’m sure anyone who has ever worked with him would say,” Ferguson said.
“I’d have been happy to keep him, but he wanted the guarantee of first-team football whichis understandable at his age and Coventry paid a very good fee for him.
“I’m pleased he’s gone to a very good club and I have no doubts he will be successful for them. It was tough for him here when I started playing with just one striker last season and this season the form of Mo Eisa and Ivan Toney would have been a big problem for him.
“I’m not sure if he’s going to play against us, but Coventry have a lot of other threats.
“They have pace, talent out wide and they will challenge this season for sure.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Ferguson picked out forward Maxime Biamou as a Coventry player to keep an eye on.
The 28-year-old was recruited from National League Sutton United in the summer and he’s currently on the way back from injury. Fellow forwarda Amadou Bakayoko and Jordi Hiwula troubled Posh in this fixture last season, but they had just three goals between them this season after last weekend’s games.
Jordan Shipley is a highclass midfielder at League One level while goalkeeper Marko Marosi was recruited from Doncaster in the summer to replace Lee Burge who left for Sunderland.
CURRENT FORM
Before last night’s (Wednesday) home match with Fleetwood, Coventry had failed to win any of their last four League One games and they had failed to score in their last three.
Goalscoring has been a huge problem for Coventry as they had just 16 in their first 13 outings, fewer than 21stplaced AFC Wimbledon.
Coventry have yet to win away in League One this season, but they’ve drawn five of their six road matches, including 3-3 thrillers at Portsmouth and Oxford.
BIG MATCH ODDS
Posh are evens with Sky Bet to claim a fifth straight home League One win, while Coventry are priced at 5/2 to pick up their first away win. The draw is 12/5.
BIG MATCH REFEREE
Alan Young takes charge of his fourth Posh match in under 12 months on Saturday. And all three of his previous appearances have ended in 2-0 wins for Posh, against Exeter in the Checkatrade Trophy and Southend in League One last season and at Southend earlier this season.