Peterborough Utd (H) League One, Mon 28 Dec, 3pm

[kshammer]

If you listen carefully you can hear the sound of thousands of zips as cocks are unleashed.

[kshammer]

I'm definitely taking a Cyprus flag next game.

[chestersaddler]

Two fool nil :D :D

[kshammer]

How class are we? Who needs Bradshaw and Henry. :wink:

[Mrdollabill]

We need to keep Evans for the rest of the season!!!

[kshammer]

We need to keep Evans for the rest of the season!!!

Agreed but I can't see it happening.

[chestersaddler]

all o'er

A happy new year to be had by all Saddlers fans :D

[Mrdollabill]

We need to keep Evans for the rest of the season!!!

Agreed but I can't see it happening.

All comes down to if man city think a promotion chasing season in league 1 would strengthen him more than being at a mediocre championship side. I hope they choose the first option :D :D :D

[chestersaddler]

We need to keep Evans for the rest of the season!!!

Agreed but I can't see it happening.

All comes down to if man city think a promotion chasing season in league 1 would strengthen him more than being at a mediocre championship side. I hope they choose the first option :D :D :D

And I imagine that he will want to stay with us and see out the job?

[BathSaddler]

Absolutely fantastic. If we can keep the majority of this team together we are going to take some stopping. What a time to be a Saddler.

[SaigonSaddler]

That was fudge awesome, what a team and what a privilege to watch them in the flesh today.

Bloody brilliant.

[BESCOTIAN]

What a game.

This team has character by the bucket load we were the better team for the first 30 minutes of the first half ! But second half the posh battered us but credit where it's due they stuck to the job. After we scored they had a chance but looked she'll shocked.

Amazing

The cock is out

[Pheasey_Saddler]

Another great win, especially considering we were playing against 5th in the table and the league's top scorers. Was concerned after Downing went off but delighted we were still able to keep a clean sheet after young Preston came on so early in the game.

5 wins on the trot, mostly without Bradshaw and Henry as well. Proves we have quality all over the park. IF those 2 players are sold in Jan, it is still vital we get a couple of replacements even though we have proved we can cope without them. There will be injuries along the way and we would need additional cover, especially up front. We still have Osbourne to come into the side as well, whenever that may be, so hopefully that may ease the loss of Evans if we lose him in Jan.

[JonnyOwen]

Tough game that, draw would of probably been a fairer result but I felt we set up perfectly to counteract and then counter attack off of Boro. They threw men forwards, pressed us high and was always on the front foot. So we packed the midfield and did what we usually don't do at home and tried to just counter attack them. It worked first half where we edged it. Second half we were dominated for 35 minutes with Etheridge making some cracking saves, we then counter and get our goals.

Referee was terrible and Andy Taylor has a game to forget.

Huge win, UTS!

[Mazza01]

That has to be the result of the season so far, fielding a weakened team against for me the best team to visit the Bescot in the league this season.

Huge Credit to Andy Taylor also who played despite still feeling his injury from Boxing Day.

It's the season that keeps on giving.

UTS!!

[EvenFlow]

Feels like an absolutely massive win- with that result, we've got an 11 point advantage over them in 6th, and they have 22 games to make it up (ie. average a point every other game more than us).

Resilient display- thought we were ace for the first 20 minutes, then it evened out, and if anything Posh shaded the second half up until our first (which my dad says that Sky say took a deflection... but who cares?).

O'Connor & Chambers were absolutely immense- the former making at least two crucial headers to cut out dangerous balls, and clear one off the line. Preston was commendable (a couple of little "inexperienced" moments, but nothing to get distressed over), and Sawyers just makes retaining the ball under pressure and finding a red shirt in space look absolutely effortless every time. Cook worked hard and played his part- his hold up & lay-off play was surprisingly solid. I thought SO'D had left his first (tactical) substitution too late to get the sub into the game, and also that it was crying out for Morris... then on came Forde who, with his first foray forward, picked Demetriou out a peach for his goal, proving for the 912th time why I'm not our manager.

EDIT: Shout out to Etheridge as well. A couple of crucial tip-overs.

In concession, both have hardly played recently, but Mantom & Taylor looked a little off the pace (thought the "Rico" chants after one of the latter's more glaring errors would be undermining, but to his credit, Tayls put in his most thunderous tackle of the season about a minute later in response).

Posh were a troublesome combination of football (obviously a hangover from managers of the recent past), with Textbook Graham Westley starting to seep in. Easy to see how Washington is banging the goals in; his movement and alertness made me very nervous- one of those players that inexplicably just looks like scoring. Jon Taylor is still an irritating little git. I was genuinely gutted when, at 0-0, Bostwick went off and they were forced to play with 11 men- what a Grade-A carthorse.

[Mazza01]

Oh ye the ref needs to move on , football really isn't his game!

[SWS1]

It seems from the stats Posh are giving as good as they get :|

Seems like they might be giving a bit better than they get :(
Mind you, we are missing at least two of our "best" players and one reliable defender has had to go off :( :(
And we are still in with a chance :D
I just hope it's :D in 20 minutes or so time :wink:

:D :D :D :D :D it is, then :D :D :D :D :D
Awesome! :D

[SWS1]

Isn't that four clean sheets on the bounce? Now, that's promo form :D

[Guest]

Highlights (UK only)

http://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/teams/walsall/10112903/walsall-2-0-peterborough

[boringteacher]

Hell of a fudge win - I'd have been happy with a point before and at any time during the game (maybe except the first 20 minutes when our passing was sublime) before our international superstar (who was superb but not quite the deserves man-love levels of O'Connor and Chambers who really couldn't have been split for MoM) scored. Didn't deserve it but who gives a flying fudge.

Football karma though - any scum team from a scum town with a below scum manager deserves no luck whatsoever. Poznanborough might have been effective, but I'd eat my season ticket, cack it out and bury the remains in a lead coffin if Bonser had made Westley our manager.

[latviancheese]

Im sure as a neutral you wont see a better game.

Two good sides, i thought it was a good honest game which the linesman did his best to spoil. He missed about 5 handballs and at least two offsides. Also the challenge on Etheridge near the end looked naughty to me.

Another change in formation, although it was a loose description of "two upfront" as both Cook and Lalkovic had spells out wide.

We were hanging on a bit before we scored, Etheridge made a worldie, and O Connor cleared two off the line ( He is immense). With this team though you always feel we can hit them on the break, which we did.

These tight games are the games which define your season, and we just keep battling away. Either side could have won today but we wanted it more. Its an absolute pleasure to watch this squad, and the ginger one might jut have fudge off at the right time.

Only disappointments were Etheridges catching, Mantom had a fairly poor game and Taylor gave the ball away at least 11 times. I also dont know what that nonsense was at the end, when your 2 nil up you need to stay away from scuffles.

Graham Westley looks a right twerp in that suit, he thinks he some cockney mafia geeza. I hope he falls down the stairs. An absolute turd of a human being.

[Walsallone]

Phew..what a win perhaps a little undeserved but what a TEAM we are. This match would have been lost a year ago but although understrength and not at our best in the second half(Millwall had obviously taken something from our legs!) we won it due to our effort and skill..A word of praise for our new Manager as well...the diamond formation had Posh all over the place in the first 30 mins when a goal or two would have being just reward.

[Sadders]

Very hard fought but superb win against easily the best side I've seen in the last season or 2.

We really started the game well. Hit the post, forced another save and generally looked much the better side. Posh came back into things late in the half and nearly took the lead through a header that Etheridge tipped over. Posh swarmed us for the first 25 minutes of the second half. We packed our midfield but had no rhythm to our play and couldn't get up the field as a unit. Posh looked fluent and lively up top. Washington dragged a shot wide and Etheridge made another decent save from a drive. The goal came probably against the run of play, but as soon as we took the lead it took the wind out of Posh and we missed a great chance with Lalkovic through 1 on 1 before we got the second goal.

Thought Posh were impressive. High energy and fluent on the ball and then muscular and quick to close down off the ball .They will finish in the top 3 or 4. A massive win for us. 5 straight wins. over 6 hours since we last conceded. No Bradshaw or Henry and yet - we have still been winning. Downing went off early injured today and youth lad Preston came in and looked the part in what will probably be one of the toughest tests of the season - we just seem to be winning this season even if we haven't been at our fluent best in the last couple of home games.

Big win. Thought Taylor looked knackered and Mantom was very poor, but that aside - we all worked as a team. One down side for me is Etheridge? The bloke is an absolute disaster waiting to happen with ANY communication, not knowing when to punch and catch and his handling/kicking is awful. Sure - he makes a few nice saves and he made 2 today, but he's a shaking erratic mess in so many other elements of his game. I'd be considering MacGillivray.

In Sawyers we have serious quality and Evans/Chambers had a big afternoon in the centre of midfield. But a special word to James O'Connor - unsung hero of the season - he's been brillant in virtually every single game I've seen him play. Absolutely brillant. What a magic decision from Smith to try him out at centre back when it was painfully obvious he couldn't play at fullback any longer.

Great win.

[caldy]

A very good win against the 13 man Peterborough United.

The ref and linesman were awful. (I'm being polite there)

The team were brilliant today showing grit, a bit of nastiness and above all control.
Chambers and o'connor were fantastic. I thought we were good all over especially the front
Two who's work rate was fantastic. Only downside for me were Mantom and Taylor being off
The pace a bit but we won so they couldn't have been that bad. We actually play exciting football at times which is good to watch.

Just a note on Peterborough who are the most arrogant team. Their media hungry owner,
Shithouse of a manager and players with massive chips on their shoulders are a disgrace.
I have never liked them and never will. The fact that Adrian Durham supports then too
Is also a reason I don't like them. Anyway rant over, one happy Saddler. UTS.

[philthesaddler]

As others have said, a really terrific win, against a decent Peterborough side. They were much improved over the side we played in September.

Don't agree totally with people saying the ref was terrible, he wasn't even in the top 5 worst we've had this season! The lino had a bit of a mare though, missed several fouls, a handball, and a clear offside.

I'm praying to Jebus that Jeff doesn't break up this team in January, we can win this league.

As for today, Chambers and O'Connor were absolutely outstanding, those two have been solid.

Special mention for Preston, came in, didn't do anything wrong.

I like the fact SOD isn't scared to try a different shape, and so far his risks have paid off, it's a bit of a contrast from Smith, however, today we didn't look comfortable with this diamond formation, and Sawyers had long spells out of the game.

Mantom is the only negative today, his performance was nowhere near where it should be.

Also think Demetriou had one of his poorer games, only marginally poorer, and he's been excellent all season, but he looked uncomfortable, possibly to do with the narrowness of the formation. He got caught out of position a lot, and attacking-wise, he struggled with his crossing.

At the moment, we just want the games to keep coming!

[The Bosted Slab]

Good open end to end game where our resilience got us through for an excellent result.

We had the better of the first half and if you ignore the goals (you can never ignore goals!) they were the better side in the second half.

Some outstanding performances as noted by others, but a feature of this team is that nobody really plays poorly and provides the bedrock of consistency.

Peterborough have a few useful players and played quite well, with Washington looking a really good player.

The plus points for us were the game time for Mantom, Cook and Preston, which should serve us well as the season progresses when we may need them more.

[Sadders]

As others have said, a really terrific win, against a decent Peterborough side. They were much improved over the side we played in September.

Don't agree totally with people saying the ref was terrible, he wasn't even in the top 5 worst we've had this season! The lino had a bit of a mare though, missed several fouls, a handball, and a clear offside.

I'm praying to Jebus that Jeff doesn't break up this team in January, we can win this league.

As for today, Chambers and O'Connor were absolutely outstanding, those two have been solid.

Special mention for Preston, came in, didn't do anything wrong.

I like the fact SOD isn't scared to try a different shape, and so far his risks have paid off, it's a bit of a contrast from Smith, however, today we didn't look comfortable with this diamond formation, and Sawyers had long spells out of the game.

Mantom is the only negative today, his performance was nowhere near where it should be.

Also think Demetriou had one of his poorer games, only marginally poorer, and he's been excellent all season, but he looked uncomfortable, possibly to do with the narrowness of the formation. He got caught out of position a lot, and attacking-wise, he struggled with his crossing.

At the moment, we just want the games to keep coming!

Amen.

Said it after about 30 minutes. We started like a runaway train, but I noticed Westley standing with his arms above his head asif to say 'make the pitch wide' - which they did and all of a sudden started getting down the sides of us. Sawyers and Mantom aren't going to run up and down the wing as wide central midfielders in the diamond.

For me - we must go back to wing backs or 1 upfront with Sawyers behind when Bradshaw is fit, it's what started this season as a success and our squad is more favourably balanced for that. For example, if SOD wanted to change the formation today he would have had to make at least 2 of our 3 subs to re-balance a different formation. No space for Rico in today's team.

It was also noticeable how having no wing outlet left Sawyers with no pockets of space to pick and play his game. We left him surrounded and unable to pull the strings for a lot of the game.

For me - Today's formation is absolutely fine, when it's used like it was against Port Vale. IE - A team comes and sits in for 60 minutes, our 1 striker looks isolated and we can't really create anything. Go for 2 up top and try to win games. It's not one to start with in every game as teams will quickly concentrate on making the pitch wide and/or playing with wingbacks and over-running us. Posh's wingers weren't great today but they were allowed a lot of space, especially in behind Sawyers down our left hand side which left Taylor very exposed at times and on another day teams will score or create killer chances from it.

[MILO5]

We will undoubtedly play better and lose , but the team spirit needed to achieve things is visibly there in abundance.

Peterborough were a good, strong outfit and looked very up for it but we never wilted .

Chambers was simply immense - incredible work rate , always there to take the ball, use it well, tenacious in the tackle , superb strength and fitness - that's leadership by example at its finest. My man of the match by far.

O Connor an absolute class act - always seems to have time even when he is under pressure - he reads the game brilliantly .

Milan did a great job up front - was a real menace for them and he was gonna get past those big beasts somehow - whether round , through , under ...!

Extremely proud Saddler - I couldn't see us winning that for most of the game but here we are again cuddling another 3 points ....

[Big Dave wfc]

Every game seems to be massive at the moment, the cushion we have got over 7th with a game in hand, just wow.

Chambers is unbelievable for his age he was my motm but joc also had a stormer, Manson and Taylor was poor for me and agree with the comment about the diamond, wouldn't start. With that against other sides.

Posh were a useful team but westley has stamped his diving, whinging, playing for yards trademark on them, ref was, well awful and the Lino should be stripped of all football qualification he has to undertake that position, barclays.

Great win onto another toughie with Rochdale, good to see Rico on the bench