Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:16 pm
Well, how we didn't come away with 3 points today - I really don't know.
First half was a pretty even affair, we were slow out of the blocks, playing quite poorly it has to be said. Flanagan struggled, Rico and Bradshaw weren't getting a touch. But having said that, Peterborough never really threatened with O'Connor and Downing solid at the back.
The way we're playing though, there was a quiet confidence we'd come back out after half time as the stronger side, and we did.
2nd half we played them off the park - Sawyers scored a cracker, akin to his goal at Blackpool, but probably better, and nearly set up Bradshaw for a 2nd. Sawyers was head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch, at times he was running the game.
Then there was this weird sending off. I didn't see it, but according to hearsay the chap who got sent off was sent off because he threw his water bottle at the Walsall bench. The ref didnt see it, it was the 4th official that spotted it and told the ref. This resulted in a 5 minute delay to proceedings whilst the ref sent him off and the player rather ungraciously remonstrated with everyone.
This 5 minute delay did us in IMO, we were on top and cruising to victory. Then this happened and we switched off, long ball over the top, think it was Demetriou who failed to get much on the header and Etheridge came out and bundled over their forward. No complaints about the penalty, it was just totally against the run of play.
After that, we still created a couple of chances, and Mantom hit the bar.
On the way out, overheard Peterborough fans saying it was a fair result - I was walking away wondering how we'd not won the game at a canter - think Etheridge made one save and picked the ball out of the net.
There's 2 good signs in this performance:
1) We played poorly, and still picked up a point. Mantom had a poor game, Cook and Lalkovic offered little when they came on, and the first half performance was poor already.
2) A draw felt like a defeat - thats how far we've come.
Bradshaw came off with a groin strain, which will make it interesting to see whether Smith risks him on Wednesday night.
In fairness to Smith, he took Flanagan off at 1-0 and brought on Lalkovic and Forde, presumably trying to finish Peterborough off. This opened up a lot more space in the middle, which gave Boro a lot more of the ball.
I'd have taken a point, but we deserved to win that game.
On another bad day for referees - a word for today's ref...
One fella gets sent off for throwing a bottle, then minutes later, their little dwarf bloke who played on the wing went through the back of Rico and then shortly after, went through the back of Sawyers - not a single yellow card!!
I just think refs need to get back to basics, stop worrying about off the field antics and whether a player has both feet off the ground because they're starting to miss the most simplest of decisions they're there to make.