Jon Stead netted twice as a strong Town reserves side lost 3-2 at Peterborough United this afternoon. The Blues second string, including a large number of first team hopefuls, were poor in the first half but improved after the break.

Sergio Torres put the home side in front in the third minute when he slipped in ahead of Damien Delaney as a cross came in from the left. Five minutes later it was two, Charlie Lee heading home from a corner.

Town pulled a goal back on 16 when Stead followed up Owen Garvan’s freekick from the edge of the box.

Posh restored their two-goal advantage in the 36th minute when Damien Delaney’s pass for Jon Stead was picked up by Lee on the edge of his own area. The Peterborough defender brought the ball forward unchallenged to the edge of the Blues box and fired home to net as poor a goal as you’ll see from a Town perspective.

Town deserved to be behind at the break with the home side well on top, although Garvan and Jack Colback had managed a couple of decent shots and Colin Healy had rounded the keeper but found himself at too tight an angle from which to shoot.

The Blues were better in the second half but could pull back only one more goal. In the 70th minute, Damien Delaney beat his man twice, then sent in a brilliant cross, which Jon Stead nodded home.

Peterborough keeper James McKeown was forced into a number of good saves, notably from Stead, three times, and sub Reggie Lambe, while Stead missed an 80th minute sitter, but the ball wouldn’t fall for Town in the box and the equaliser wouldn’t come leading to the reserves’ first defeat of the season.

Colin Healy and Owen Garvan were Town’s better performers throughout, while Tamás Priskin was quiet and Stead and Delaney improved after the break. Lambe impressed after coming off the bench.

Coaches Steve Foley and Tony Loughlan watched the match along with chief scout Steve McCall, but manager Roy Keane was not spotted.

Reserves: Lee-Barrett, Ainsley, Delaney, Colback (Lambe 60), Bruce, Balkestein, Upson, Garvan, Stead, Priskin (Hyam 68), Healy. Unused: McLoughlin, Eastman, Cawley.

Thanks to Terry Roberts for the report.

Photo: Action Images

pottyblue added 16:17 - Oct 21 stead it is on sat then
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Surco72 added 16:18 - Oct 21 First team back 4 from start of season and Healy playing defensive holding role and still let in 3 shows why we started the season so badly . Get Garvan and Stead back in the first team squad now Mr Keane the rest are not good enough Priskin included .
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joe9087 added 16:35 - Oct 21 Good to see Delaney making a couple more major errors.
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BlueMagic added 16:44 - Oct 21 Only reason i can see for bring Stead back into the team on Saturday is to replace Walters if Injured, even then I'd rather have Priskin ahead of him.
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Suffolk_n_Good added 16:51 - Oct 21 Priskin fails to show anything even in a reserve game! how anyone would rather see Priskin ahead of Stead beggars belief!! I wouldn't trust Priskin with washing the kit!
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strikalite added 16:52 - Oct 21 With every week that passes by it's becoming obvious that 70% of our squad just isn't good enough! I got totally slated for stating that when Keane came in he'd need close to £30m to build a squad capable of gaining an automatic place in the league...you are never going to do it with cheap signings from Cork City and average journeymen from QPR....simple!
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joe9087 added 17:03 - Oct 21 I think Priskin needs to be given a run of games, that's the least Keano can do to justify his own decision in paying £1.7m for him.
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RobbieScarlatti added 17:06 - Oct 21 Bang bang John Stead.
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Eireannach_gorm added 17:12 - Oct 21 strikalite - The expensive signing from Man U is really turning the team around. I think the issue is getting the correct player for the position/team. Price is only an issue if they are crap. Steads problem is that for a big man, he is useless in the air.
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Wallingford_Boy added 17:20 - Oct 21 Surco72 - I can't remember Ainsley playing for the first team this season!
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jas0999 added 17:38 - Oct 21 Disappointing to concede three in a reserve game. Bruce and Pim at the back then.
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Lightningboy added 17:40 - Oct 21 Stead (our top scorer last season-remember?!) scores 2 for the reserves and there are still people on here slagging him off and opting for the ineffective Priskin ahead of him...wake up!
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randomblue added 18:06 - Oct 21 Stead and Priskin up front with Pablo just behind playing hold up/set up play (taking Trotters place in the team)? That way you've got Edwards, Leadbitter, Peters/Martin playing to the three of them. Come on we'd have to score a goal or two with that lot? Or atleast have a fighting chance! Once we start banging a few goals in players will get confidence and more will follow. Thoughts anyone?!

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SitfcB added 18:47 - Oct 21 Delaney is a waste of space!! GET RID OF HIM KEANO!!!
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Mungo added 19:01 - Oct 21 This doesn't sound particularly inspiring. Quite worrying how easily our defence, including our 'Captain,' were bested by league 2 players. With the first team still not getting results, the reserves should be busting a gut to make an impression, but this sort of performance isn't going to give RK any difficult decisions to make...
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Mark added 19:13 - Oct 21 When Magilton signed Norris I remember thinking that £2m is a huge amount of money, this guy needs to perform week-in week-out and be a key player. To think we spent nearly as much on Priskin and don't even play him!! He has looked poor and I wonder if that's because he wasn't given a chance early on and so became demoralised? As for Bruce, it was strange to make him club captain and then not play him!

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Tractor_Boy_Paddy added 19:18 - Oct 21 why the hell are people slagging off delany already? he looks a half decent player, nobody is moaning about martin under perfroming, you call yourself town fans but all you do is moan !! Get behing the blues for once !!! Play-Offs hear we come
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ShropshireBluenago09 added 19:18 - Oct 21 Stead and Priskin both need games and one thing that keane does not buy into - confindence. Keanos "oh you didnt score today so you are banished" tactics are sign of poor management. The same goes for Garvan.
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WickedBlue added 20:15 - Oct 21 No wonder posters on the forum think posters on the news articles are morons....
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felixblues added 21:01 - Oct 21 How can any of you say that Priskin is crap when he has only made a few appearances? He needs a good run in the team (with pablo)before a true judgment can be made.How many of you so called supporters slagged Norris off when he first arrived!!! enough said...................
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dirtydingusmagee added 23:04 - Oct 21 Stead cant win,he gets slated if he doesnt score and gets slated if he does.!
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jakeitfcster added 23:35 - Oct 21 is anyone concerned how we managed to lose this?? Look at the team we had out. It does make you wonder if some of the players do care.
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Bergholtblue added 08:46 - Oct 22 jakeitfcster - I am concerned that starting 11 with the exception of 2 -3 players could have been expected to be our first team. The problem is nobody is performing with any consistency and the longer it goes on, the worse it gets. When Stead was in the first team, ahead of Counago, and not scoring all the messages were "get him out". No he is out of the picture and our strikers are still not taking their chances, Stead gets two against a weak defence and all of a sudden its "get him back in". If Stead was to come back, who do we drop from the front two who played at Watford? Counago (the last of out strikers to score a goal, but created little against Watford) or Walters (lots of effort but does not look as good a player up front as when he supports from wide right). If Walters does not recover from his injury in time, then get Priskin or Stead will take his place, if he does recover leave the pairing alone and lets try to get a settled side.

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nthstd added 09:38 - Oct 22 Tractor Boy Paddy Having watched Delay in the pre season from Finn Harp unitl he was dropped he is the most inconsistant defender we have ever had.He fails to hold position is easily beaten in the air, panics when forced into the corner, lacks accuracy/distance and composure when passing the ball. He is a consistant under performer. When going forward he lacks pace, determination and skill plus his tracking back is slow, which for a defender is dreadful.

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Gary added 13:33 - Oct 22 Peterboro players trying to show their manager they are ready if needed for the battle, Ipswich players just feeling sorry for themselves and showing their manager they are not up for the fight, get rid of the lot of them.
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