Peterborough 0-0 Town - Match Report Saturday, 25th Jul 2015 16:53 Sub Adam McDonnell hit the post in the second half but Town’s pre-season friendly at Peterborough ended goalless. Daryl Murphy, last season's 27-goal Championship top scorer, made his first start of pre-season, while Jonny Parr returned at left-back after his minor thigh problem in a full-strength Town back four. Aside from Giles Coke - who is training with Town for the next few days - starting in Cole Skuse’s central midfield role, the team isn’t too far away from what manager Mick McCarthy might view as his first XI. Strikers Freddie Sears and Brett Pitman both missed, the latter presumably due to the foot knock he suffered at Cambridge. Sears, who also seems likely to have picked up a niggle, was spotted watching the U18s beat Leyton Orient 2-0 in a friendly at Playford Road this morning. Former Blues midfielder Jack Collison starts for Posh. Town - wearing last season's orange away kit - threatened early on when an Ainsley Maitland-Niles corner from the left bounced dangerously across the edge of the six-yard box but without a Town player managing to get a touch. Posh weren’t too far away from going in front in the 11th minute when former Cliftonville striker Joe Gormley hit a well-struck shot just over from the edge of the box. On the quarter hour, Ryan Fraser fed Parr, who sent over a low cross from the left, which Kgosi Ntlhe turned behind at the far post. After the resultant corner had been half-cleared, David McGoldrick nutmegged Jon Taylor before taking the ball on but scuffing wide and too far in front of Christophe Berra at the far post. At the other end, Taylor shot wide of Dean Gerken’s left post, then on 23 Peterborough skipper Michael Bostwick shot powerfully just wide from distance. There was a big scare for Blues keeper Gerken on the half-hour mark when he was closed down quickly by Conor Washington and the ball deflected off the Posh striker and cannoned just over. Two minutes later, Gerken did well to tip Collison’s dipping effort from distance over his bar. From the subsequent corner, the Blues keeper reacted quickly to block Taylor’s powerful strike. Peterborough continued to keep up the pressure and on 35 Ntlhe shot over from distance, then on 41 Washington had the ball in the net but the referee had already blown up for a foul. A minute later, Town came close when the ball ran loose to Parr midway inside the area following a throw on the right but Ricardo Almeida Santos superbly dived in to challenge. McGoldrick found himself space just outside the box on 44 but shot over and the scoreline remained level at the break. Posh might well have been in front had Washington’s block been a couple of feet lower and the home side probably had the better of the first-half chances, largely during a strong spell just after the half-hour mark. Town had been on top for much of the rest of the half, passing the ball around slickly at times, with Maitland-Niles and McGoldrick often at the heart of it, but usually without creating an opportunity. Parr’s late chance had been the Blues best opportunity, while trialist Coke had a tidy if unspectacular half in central midfield. Manager McCarthy stuck with the same XI for the start of the second half and the Blues started strongly, McGoldrick seeing a 49th minute effort blocked. A minute later, Berra prodded a Maitland-Niles corner wide at the near post. The Blues continued to press and on 54 Fraser crossed from the left and Posh keeper Ben Alnwick did well to punch clear ahead of Murphy. Two minutes later, McGoldrick curled a shot wide from the right, just outside the area. On 62 Marcus Maddison shot over from a freekick on the Peterborough right after he’d been fouled by Berra, who moments later was replaced along with his nine outfield team-mates. Town went close to going in front in the 68th minute when, after good work from Alex Henshall on the left, Kevin Bru cleverly found Adam McDonnell, who struck Alnwick’s right post with a deft effort stabbed past a defender from midway inside the area. Fortunately for the home side the ball fell to a defender and the danger was cleared. Gerken was out quickly to claim at the feet of Washington on 70, then at the other end Cameron Stewart cut in and hit a shot which was deflected wide. From the corner Josh Yorwerth’s header was cleared from inside the six-yard box. Yorwerth, signed from Cardiff over the summer, threatened again from a Henshall corner on 83 but his header looped wide. Two minutes later, after Connolly had been fouled, the ball was played short to Ambrose, who hit a low effort through to Alnwick. Town had been on top since the changes but without creating too much in front of goal and the game ended 0-0. On the overall balance of the game a draw was probably a fair result. Peterborough will feel they had the better of the chances - certainly in the first half - while aside from McDonnell’s effort off the post the Blues didn’t come close to breaking the deadlock on many more occasions. Town next face Colchester at the Weston Homes Community Stadium on Tuesday before Utrecht visit Portman Road next Saturday. Peterborough: Alnwick, Smith, Ntlhe, Santos, Zakuani, Bostwick (c), Collison, Maddison, Taylor, Washington, Gormley. Subs: Henry, J Anderson, Brisley, H Anderson, Newell, Fox, Sadlier, Angol, Adebayo-Rowling, Coulibaly, Oztumer. Town: Gerken, Chambers (c) (Emmanuel 63), Smith (Kenlock 63), Berra (Yorwerth 63), Parr (Tabb 63), Coke (McDonnell 63), Bishop (Bru 63), Maitland-Niles (Connolly 63), Fraser (Henshall 63), Murphy (Ambrose 63), McGoldrick (Stewart 63). Subs: Bialkowski, Skuse, Benyu. Att: 2,125 (632).
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