Home heartbreak hits plucky Posh hard again

Late home heartbreak has already become a theme for Posh this season and to see West Brom grab a winner in the final minute of time added on because of their own time wasting was particularly irritating.

The Baggies played poorly and required a 94th-minute winning goal to claim victory when a driving run and precise cross from Matt Phillips set up a tap-in goal for Semi Ajayi.

The visitors, like Cardiff before them in the previous Championship match at the Weston Homes Stadium, celebrated like they’d won the World Cup rather than scrambling to victory against one of the favourites for relegation.

Angry scenes between the two management teams followed with rude visiting manager Valerien Ismael rather letting himself down with an ill-advised hand gesture towards his opposite number.

His team were pretty ugly too. The vast advantages that

parachute payments bring has created a team of hardrunning, speedy set-piece obsessed big blokes.

They’ll overpower many teams at this level this season, but pleasingly Posh went toe-to-toe with them on and off the pitch.

There was little fluent football from either side, but then the onus was surely on the side heavily tipped to win a quick return to the Premier League?

They did boss territory for lengthy periods, but clearcut chances were rare. Posh ‘keeper Christy Pym, who enjoyed a fine game, beat a first-half shot from Karlan Grant away before pulling off a much more difficult save to keep out substitute Jordan

Hugill’s close range header midway through the secondhalf with Ajayi hitting a post on the follow-up. He would get his revenge later.

In reply Posh created nothing as promising attacking positions were spoiled by poor decision-making in the final third.

Half-time substitute Jack Taylor’s failure to send Harrison Burrows running through on goal on the hour mark was particularly disappointing.

Only Jack Marriott managed to force visiting goalkeeper Sam Johnstone into a save and that was a mere piece of catching practice for a ‘keeper who kept himself in the game by effectively playing as a sweeper.

There was little in the way of fluent football from either side.

Dan Butler in action for Posh against West Brom.