The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Posh disappointed not to celebrate victory at the promotion contenders
Posh played so well at bigspending Championship promotion favourites Bournemouth on Tuesday they were disappointed to leave the Vitality Stadium with just a point from a 1-1 draw
Jack Marriott fired Posh in front on the half hour before the only sloppy piece of defending of the night enabled Ryan Christie to equalise in the 52nd minute.
It was just a fifth away point in 19 games for Posh this season and they remain bottom, but at least they edged a little closer to safety. They now have seven points (effectively eight because of a terrible goal difference) to make up in their remaining 11 matches.
Posh boss Grant McCann said: “It was a pleasing performance, but I’m disappointed with a point. One lapse of concentration has cost us the win. All in all though, I’m proud of the boys for showing more grit and determination.
“They’ve come to one of the best teams in the division and they’ve given them a real good game. I thought we caused them a lot of problems.”
McCann made six changes to the side that started at Huddersfield. He left on-loan players Hayden Coulson, Reece Brown and Callum Morton out of the squad altogether and gave a Football League debut to 19 year-old Joe Taylor from the substitutes’ bench.
“There were four academy graduates on the pitch at the end and that is really important to me and the football club,” McCann added.
“Joe Taylor did great after coming on and he got a big round of applause in the changing room after the game.
“I wanted to have a look at people. I’ve only just come into the building and there is a bigger picture here. I’m looking more long term. The immediate thing is trying to stay in the Championship and we’ll never give up on that, but I’m also mindful of the fact I want to
see other people. I want to see players contracted to the club and I want to see youngsters. That doesn’t mean the loan players won’t be involved .”
Bournemouth, who fielded former Posh star Siriki Dembele from the start, missed a
couple of decent chances before man-of-the-match Joe Ward set up up Marriott for a typically cool finish.
Christie took advantage of some hesitant defending to level early in the second-half, but Posh came as close as the
home side to bagging a winning goal. Ward’s superb run from the right wing into the penalty area was interrupted by a terrific defensive block and substitute Sammie Szmodics drove a volley from a corner across the six yard box.
MATCH STATS Goals:
Posh - Marriott (30 mins). Bournemouth - Christie (52).
Cautions: Posh - Burrows (foul). Bournemouth-Billing(foul),Zemura (foul).
Referee: Gavin Ward 8.
Attendance: 8,293 (230 Posh).