The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Life just couldn’t be any better for super Sports
Life couldn’t be any better for Peterborough Sports right now after a five-game winning streak to start the Southern League Premier Division Central campaign was followed by a dramatic FA Cup win.
But manager Jimmy Dean believes things are about to get a lot tougher as a side struggling with injuries sets out on a hectic schedule.
Sports host top-eight sides Leiston (8th) and Tamworth (4th) at the Bee Arena on Saturday (3pm) and Tuesday (7.45pm) respectively when Dean will have to work hard to manage his ‘walking wounded’ effectively.
“We play two games a week for four or five weeks in a row now,” Dean revealed. “And we have some problems. Maniche Sani has suffered a recurrence of the injury that kept him out at the start of the season, Lewis Hilliard is now out for a month and Michael Gash is far from 100 per cent fit.
“Josh Moreman is also struggling so we will have to see where we are on a game by game basis and send the best team out that we can.
“Every game is a challenge right now, but so far the lads have stepped up superbly and
they will have to again as Leiston have improved under Darrem Eadie’s management and Tamworth are one of the title favourites.”
A repeat of the attitude Sports showed in beating a tough Haringey side in the first qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday would help.
Sports fell behind early in the second-half, but three subsequent
substitions by Dean worked a treat. Replacements Dan Jarvis and Jim Stevenson supplied classy finishes - the latter struck the winning goal three minutes from time while Gash was excellent in his half hour on the pitch.
“We dug in to get a great results against a strong side,” Dean added. “The substitu
tions did make a difference, but we also defended well throughout.
“We finished the stronger because they were happy to have a replay and we didn’t want one. We were very positive and we were rewarded.”
Jimmy Dean: ‘Every game is a challenge right now.’
One fan was seen the wrong side of a barrier during an altercation betweenvisiting players and home fans, an incident which has been included in the match referee’s report.