Protect Siriki from the bully boys

Correct score: Posh to win 1-0: 8/1

2-0: 12/1

2-1: 9/1

3-0: 25/1

3-1: 20/1

3-2: 28/1

4-0: 50/1

4-1: 40/1

4-2: 50/1

Draw: 0-0: 10/1 1-1: 11/2 Plymouth to win 1-0: 8/1

2-0: 12/1

2-1: 9/1

3-0: 25/1

3-1: 20/1

3-2: 28/1

4-0: 50/1

4-1: 40/1

4-2: 50/1

2-2: 12/1 3-3: 40/1

First goalscorer: 4/1 Godden (Posh), Carey (Plymouth), 9/2 Cummings (Posh), Toney (Posh), O’Hara (Posh), 6/1 Taylor (Plymouth), Maddison (Posh), 7/1 Dembele (Posh), Cooke (Posh), Ladapo (Plymouth), 8/1 Cooper (Posh), Lamieras (Plymouth), Grant (Plymouth), 10/1 Ward (Posh), 12/1 Reed (Posh), Fox (Plymouth), Ness (Plymouth), 16/1 Tafazolli (Posh), Daniel (Posh), 20/1 Naismith (Posh).

Peterborough United manager Steve Evans has called on referees to offer young winger Siriki Dembele more potection from the League One bully boys.

Evans was angry with the treatment dished out to his exciting 21 year-old talent by Charlton players in Tuesday’s bruising League One encounter.

He felt referee James Linnington could have sent off two home players during the game and he fears such challenges could become a regular theme as defences struggle to contain Dembele.

The cheap signing from League Two side Grimsby will be in action next at Plymouth on Saturday - a fixture that boiled over last season when Posh players Steven Taylor and Liam Shephard were both sent off.

“Siriki was twice tackled around his waist area at Charlton,” Evans fumed. “And that should have meant two red cards. Top talents like Siriki need protection. Of course they should be marked closely and challenged, but there’s no place in the game for what I saw at Charlton.

“Siriki started that game so brightly I think it was the only way they could stop him. It could easily happen again so I want referees to keep an eye on it and act firmly.

“The boy has so much talent it’s frightening. He’s started the season well, but he will get even better. Opponents will know he is a dangerman and they will plan accordingly. The same has been happening with Marcus Maddison for years.”

Evans returned home from Charlton after midnight and was watching a dvd of Plymouth’s draw with Wycombe from that night seven hours later. He was impressed with what he saw.

“Plymouth should have been out of sight at half-time,” Evans stated. “They scored once and should have scored a couple more.

“They have good players like Graham Carey and Ruben Lameiras and we won’t be taking any notice of their slow start as they did the same last year and then almost reached the play-offs.

“Plymouth are a wellmanaged club. Me and their manager Derek Adams go at it during games, but we’re friendly enough off the pitch.

“Of course I want to beat him. We lost a stormy game there last season, but we are a completely different team now.” This was a stormy affair last season, one that was refereed by a hopeless official who sent off Posh pair Steven Taylor and Liam Shephard as well as awarding Argyle a controversial last minute penalty.

Graham Carey converted the spotkick to seal a come from behind win. Jack Marriott had opened the scoring for Posh. Shephard’s red card was rescinded.

Posh have won four and lost seven of their 12 Football League trips to Plymouth. Goals from Craig MackailSmith (2) and Aaron Mclean secured a 3-0 League One win early in the 201011 campaign, one that saw Posh win promotion to the Championship. Posh: Lewis, Ofori-Twumasi, Langmead, Bennett, Wesolowski, McCann, Rowe, Davies, Boyd, Mclean, MackailSmith. Subs used: Hibbert, MendezLaing, Tomlin. Two-time loanee at Posh, defender Scott Wootton, moved to Plymouth in the summer after helping MK Dons to relegation from League One. Wootton was a Manchester United player when he came to Posh on loan during the Championship seasons of 2011-12 and 2012-13, but he made just nine starts for the club. Plymouth were busy in the close season transfer market, but early performances suggest they will again be reliant on gifted midfielder Graham Carey who scored 16 goals last term. Carey should at least have strong midfield support from summer capture Conor Grant who finally left Everton after a couple of successful spells on loan at Doncaster.

Striker Ryan Taylor scored one of his few goals in this fixture last season.