The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
DERBY DAY DELIGHT FOR POSH
Loyal servant Grant McCann enjoyed one of his best Posh experiences as his side demolished local rivals Northampton Town in the eagerly-awaited League One derby at the ABAX Stadium.
McCann was part of many great Posh home games during his playing career, most notably when he scored in a 2-0 play-off win over MK Dons in 2011, but beating Cobblers 3-0 in his first crackat managinga derby game was right up there with the best.
Goals fro mS haqui le Coulthirst - his first of the season - Northampton defender Z and er Diamond and Tom Nichols- his first for 13 gamessecured a victory that pushed Poshuptoseventh, apointoutside the play-off places.
The win erased the memory of a dreadful display in defeat at Fleetwood last Saturday.
“It was a great night, I just wish I was playing,” McCann enthused.
“I’ve had some great days and nights with this club, like the game against MK Dons, but this is right up there.
“I told the players before the game that I was envious of them. I never played against Northampton for Posh, but I know what our stadium is like when the fans turn up in force. The place rocks.
“I showed the lads a video of Charlie Lee scoring the winning goal the last time we played each other and asked them to look at what it meant to the players and the fans.
“I challenged them to become heroes and they responded really well. We set the side up perfectly to combat the physical nature of their team and most importanly we won individual battles all over the pitch. It was a very satisfying win, butit will mean nothing if wedon’tfollow it up with another win on Saturday against Wimbledon.
“We need to start winning back-to-back games and the players should get a lift from this result and performance. I will makesurethey showthe same commitment this weekend.
“It was a good night for us. It was important for Shaquile Coulthirst andTomNicholsto end their goal droughts and if we can get a goal from Paul Taylor, all our forwards will be up and running. ‘Tayls’ did everything but score against Northampton.
“We showed a different side to us. We know we can win games by playing good quality attacking football, but we needed to show we could also win by showing great character.
“We were under the cosh for a lot of the second half, but the back four and Luke McGee were excellent and Michael Bostwick just in front of them delivered a colossal display.
“Michael was an important figure in a physical game and he tracked runners, made tackles and won headers. If we defend well and keepclean sheets wewillwinplenty of games because we have players like Marcus Maddison, who weallowed to drift all over the pitch, delivering superb setpieces and players like Paul Taylor who can create havoc with the ball at his feet.”
Posh had lost ground on the play- off zone at Fleetwood after delivering one of their worst displays of the campaign.
“We were terrible ,” McC ann added .“We started slowly and we had to play catch-up after conceding an early goal.
“We huffed and puffed in the first-half, but we were worse in the second half and never really looked like getting back into the game.
“We played with no energy andverylittle tempo. Ourlack of consistency has become a big concern.”
Manager Grant McCann enjoyed one of his most memorable nights at Posh. Grant McCann: “Wewonindividual battles all over the pitch.” Charlie Lee was used to inspire Posh players ahead of Cobblers’ match.
Posh are confident their League One promotion bid has been well and truly launched by local derby success. Grant McCann’s side won a hotly-contested clash against Northampton Town3-0at the ABAX Stadium on Tuesday - the first Cobblers derby for seven years-tomove up to seven thin the League One table, one point and one place out- side the play-off zone.
This Saturday they are at home to in-form AFC Wimbledon.
“It was a vital victory,” Posh boss McCann stated. “It should give us the confidence to kick on and string a few wins together.
“We haven’t won back-toback league games all season and that has to change.
“I want to get into the playoff places as soon as possible because in my experience once you get there you can be hard to shift.
“Home form will be important and it’s good that we have started to win games well at the ABAX. We proved against Northampton we have the character as well as the ability to do well this season.”
Striker Shaquile Coulthirst, who scored his first goal of the season against Cobblers, is a doubt for the Wimbledon game because of a hamstring strain.