The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Gormley makes a welcome return
After Tuesday night’s big win against Millwall, goalscoring doesn’t appear to be a problem for Peterborough United. But there’s another hot-shot waiting in the wingsitching to get a slice of the action.
Striker Joe Gormley made his return from a horrendous knee injury, which has kept him out of the game for 11 months, in the 5-1 drubbing of Millwall.
Gormley (26) has barely played for the club after snapping the cruciate ligaments in his left kneeplaying for the reserve team against Norwich City back in September 2015.
But he came on as a substitute for goalscorer Tom Nichols in the 85th minute, getting eight minutes of action.
That fleeting glimpse will have been the first many Posh fans hadseenofhimfollowing his arrival 12 months ago.
He joined the club last summer after being named Northern Ireland Football Writers’ Player of the Year in 2014, as he scored 40 goals to help Cliftonville lift back-toback Irish Premiership titles.
Posh manager Grant McCannsaidhewasverypleased to have the striker back in action.
McCann said: “Joe got a hat-trick in one of the Under 21 games he played. It was behindcloseddoorsagainstNorwichandhedidreaallywell, so I was pleased to get him back.
“Hehasbeenlooking quite sharp in training so it was good to get him back on the pitch although he didn’t really get involved. There wasn’t much time for him.”
McCann explained he would have liked to have got Gormley on earlier but Steve Morison’s goal for Millwall delayed himmakingthechange.
The manager added: “Joe is like Tom Nichols - he will run in behind centre- halves, and if he gets a chance he will score. That’s the reason he is at the club.”
Looking forward to Saturday’s gameatOxford, McCann said: “It’s going to be another tough game going to Oxford. They have just come up from League Two which always makes it a tough game.
“We have just seen what AFC Wimbledon have done whentheycamehere, thatwas a tough game.
“There are no easy games in this league. But if we play with the intensity and the tempo we employed against Millwall, thenwe’vegotagreat chance.”