The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Date change for event
The Peterborough & District League have changed the dates of their summer adult six -a-side tournament to Saturday, July 17 and Sunday, July 18.
There are no places left on the Saturday, but Sunday slots are still available.
Contact for information is 01733 330056 or email to pdfloffice@btconnect.com.
The original date for the tournament was Saturday, June 12.
The tournament will take place at PDFL headquarters at the Nene Valley Community Centre on Candy Street, PE2 9RE.
The PDFL Veterans Over 35s tournament scheduled for Saturday, June 5 at Candy Street was sold out within a fortnight of its launch.
GERRARD FOR ANFIELD
It’s very likely Rangers would be relegation candidates in the English top flight, but you can only beat what’s in front of you and manager Steven Gerrad’s men couldn’t have won the Scottish Premier League more emphatically. I wonder how bad this Liverpool side (they surely can’t get much worse) has to get under Jurgen Klopp before the clamour to replace him with a real Anfield iconbecomestoogreattoignore?
USE GAYLE FORCE PROPERLY
Newcastle United have their top attacking players out injured and yet still only deployed natural goalgrabber Dwight Gayle in the final 30 minutes at a hopeless West Brom side and then played him on the wing in a 0-0 draw. It’s like Steve Bruce is trying to get Newcastle relegated.
Posh manager Darren Ferguson once unwittingly broke a gentleman’s agreement and caused a boardroom rumpus with Barnet FC.
Posh co-owner Darragh MacAnthony made the revelation during a recent episode of his popular ‘Hard Truth’ podcast.
Posh signed striker Liam Hatch from Barnet for £50k in January 2008 to add firepower to a squad heading to promotion from League Two.
“Barry Fry did the deal with the Barnet chairman Tony Kleanthous,” MacAnthony recalled.
“And part of the deal was a gentleman’s agreement not to play Liam against Barnet.
“But Barry forgot to tell
Darren Ferguson, so when Barnet played at our place later in the season Liam was on the bench.
“And of course the inevitable happened and Liam came on and scored the winning goal. It was a bit embarrassing and Tony understandably went home fuming.”
West Brom manager Sam Allardyce caused a few eyebrows to be raised when admitting his January signing Robert Snodgrass was left out of a game against his former club West Ham because of an agreement between the clubs.
Such an agreement is not allowed under Premier League rules, but Allardyce has not yet been punished.
Hatch started just one game for Posh and scored two goals before he was sold to Darlington in 2011 after several loan spells in the North East and one temporary stay at Luton Town.
V HULL CHRISTY PYM
A header looped over him for the first goal and then beaten from close range and the penalty spot. Not forced to make any other saves ........ 6
NATHAN THOMPSON
Battled away well as a centre-back and a rightback. Tried to get the side going forward .......... 7
FRANKIE KENT
Slipped and conceded a soft penalty. Posh have looked less than watertight at the back lately .. 6
MARK BEEVERS
Struggled against physical Mallik Wilks in the first-half. His standards dropped here ............. 6
DAN BUTLER
An attacking threat from wing-back until Posh were reduced to 10 men. Defended soundly ..... 7
JOE WARD
Started the game brightly. Rattled the post from a long range free kick, but crossed the ball disappointingly poorly ...................................... 6
ETHAN HAMILTON
Great pass helped create the Posh goal and was playing strongly again until a rash lunge and a first-half red card changed the game .............. 5
REECE BROWN
Took his goal calmly and played pretty well throughout even when Posh became outnumbered ................................................... 8
SAMMIE SZMODICS
Bright and busy until he was sacrificed following the red card. Posh attacks dried up without him7
SIRIKI DEMBELE
A very lively first-half when he ran past defenders at will. Struggled after the break when he became subdued too quickly ............................ 6
JONSON CLARKE-HARRIS
Another to start the game strongly, but he also faded from view after Hamilton’s dismissal ...... 8
Substitutes
NIALL MASON (for Szmodics, 46 mins) ........... 6 HARRISON BURROWS (for Ward, 71 mins) ..... 6 RICKY-JADE JONES (for Clarke-Harris, 82 mins)
V BURTON CHRISTY PYM NATHAN THOMPSON DAN BUTLER
Up against Burton’s best attacking player in Jonny Smith, but competed well. Couldn’t find a decent cross though which was disappointing ........... 6
FRANKIE KENT
The classy centre-back was untroubled throughout against a very limited strike force.. 7
MARK BEEVERS
Managed a couple of strong blocks, but he was untidy in possession at times ........................... 6
JOE WARD
He was rather subdued for the second game in a row. His crossing was poor .............................. 5
ETHAN HAMILTON
Worked hard as Posh controlled possession in midfield. A couple of decent strikes on goal ...... 7
REECE BROWN
Busy and productive as Posh tried to pass around a press. Took on a couple of ambitious shots ..... 7
SAMMIE SZMODICS
No influence on the game at all. His shooting from the 20 yard range was poor ............................. 5
SIRIKI DEMBELE
An attractive display. Carried the ball well and created one great chance with a lovely pass. Fouled constantly as usual ................................ 7
JONSON CLARKE-HARRIS
Laboured and hauled off with Posh chasing goals, for tactical reasons apparently ........................ 5
Substitutes MO EISA
(for Clarke-Harris, 64 mins) Good movement, but could have scored twice. 6
HARRISON BURROWS
(for Butler, 68 mins) Excellent cameo, took his goal well ................... 7
The only certainty in this frantic, unique League One season is the flip-flopping of positions at both ends of the table.
Posh were four points clear at the top and everyone’s favourites for automattic promotion on February 27. Eight days later after picking up one point from two tricky away matches and they’d been overtaken at the top while the rest of the promotion pack were closing in sensing weakness.
It’s relentless, frantic action, a real survival of the fittest, but a test both of these teams have passed since the turn of the year.
Burton, despite limited quality, have racked up seven wins in nine matches to shoot from rock-bottom to relative safety on the back of hard work, organised defence and set pieces.
Posh were fifth, six points off top spot, on January 1 so a spot in the top two is a considerable achievement no matter how poorly they played in this contest.
But there will be concern that key men are starting to let standards slip. Goalkeeper Christy Pym should have done better on each of the last three goals Posh have conceded.
He spilled a simple low cross to enable Burton striker Kane Hemmings to score the crucial first goal at the Pirelli Stadium on 55 minutes, and two minutes later he and Jonson Clarke-Harris appeared to get in each others way as a soft shot from Hayaden Carter following a free kick somehow squeezed over the goalline.
Posh had started the game well without managing a breakthrough. Clarke-Harris slipped as he prepared to pounce on a Burton goalkeeping error before Pym made a cracking save to thwart Danny Rowe.
Posh rallied after falling behind and twice substitute Mo Eisa found himself free beyond the home defence, but failed to score.
Another sub Harrison Burrows did claim his first senior goal, but with virtually the last kick of the match.