Town’s poor start to the season continued as the Blues exited the Carling Cup at Peterborough United. Tamás Priskin put Town in front, then missed a penalty but goals from Lee Freckington and George Boyd won the tie for the home side.
Roy Keane kept Richard Wright in goal, David Wright at right-back, Pim Balkestein and Alex Bruce, again captaining, at centre-half. Damien Delaney returned on the left with Alan Quinn ahead of him and Jack Colback and Colin Healy in the centre. Pablo Couñago made his first appearance of the season up front alongside Tamás Priskin.
The lack of Owen Garvan and Jon Stead in the 18, having been substituted at half-time on Saturday, continued to give the impression that they are the two players Keane has told are unlikely to play for the club again.
Town won a series of early freekicks and corners, Lee Martin’s strike from 20 yards coming closest to opening the scoring.
Pim Balkestein got his name in the book in the seventh minute for a foul on Aaron Mclean.
The Blues went in front in the 14th minute with Couñago, having looked Town’s most creative player in the early stages, carving out the opportunity. The Spaniard crossed from the right at the second attempt and Priskin diverted the ball past Joe Lewis at the near post.
Without looking particularly composed, Town had seemed somewhat more dangerous than they had on Saturday and at the other end had restricted the home side to one or two wild 25-yard strikes.
However, on 21 Frecklington should have put his side on terms after evading Colback and breaking into the area, Richard Wright saving his low shot. Moments later Alex Bruce was booked for a challenged on Mclean when he clearly won the ball, referee Rob Shoebridge showing his well-documented myopic tendencies. Wright saved Frecklington’s shot.
Town should have gone two goals up in the 25th minute when Gabriel Zakuani tripped Priskin inside the area. Referee Shoebridge required the intervention of his linesman before pointing to the spot. Priskin grabbed the ball but hit his shot too close to Lewis, who saved.
Quinn sent a freekick over the bar, then a David Wright error led to George Boyd exchanging a one-two but Richard Wright was again there to block his shot.
However, on 32 the home side got back on terms. Frecklington was given the space to unleash a 30-yard strike which beat Richard Wright.
Couñago hit a low shot to Lewis, then Frecklington scuffed wide from a Mclean cross at the far post when poor marking had left several Peterborough players queuing up to score.
Town had their best chance of the closing stages of the half in the 44th minute when Delaney sent in a fine cross to the far post but Priskin headed wide.
The Blues had started relatively brightly with Couñago providing some much-needed invention up front, but seemed to lose their impetus after the penalty miss with Peterborough looking more dangerous and with the Blues making one or two errors at the back.
Three minutes after the break, Tommy Rowe was booked for a foul on Alex Bruce, Lee Martin wasting the freekick.
Couñago came close to teeing up Quinn inside the Posh area on 49 but his weak pass saw the Irishman’s shot deflected high and wide by the closing defender.
On 54 Keane switched Couñago and Priskin for Connor Wickham and Jon Walters, perhaps hinting that the Spaniard and the Hungarian will start against Preston on Saturday.
Shaun Batt shot into the sidenetting after a freekick had fallen to him on the left of the area, then Martin appeared to be pulled back inside the Peterborough box, but referee Shoebridge was unsighted.
On 63 the home side went in front. Colback’s poor clearance ended up at Boyd’s feet on the edge of the area, the Posh midfielder lashing a low shot past Wright.
Two minutes later, Peterborough were close to putting the game beyond doubt when Boyd’s freekick deflected to Mclean, but his strike was blocked by Delaney.
Batt was yellow-carded for a foul on Martin, but the Blues had looked less of a threat since Couñago and Priskin had been replaced.
On 72 Wickham hit a shot on the turn which flew narrowly over, prior to Upson taking over from Martin.
Wickham curled another shot over as the Blues pushed for an equaliser. Quinn sent wide when he should have crossed, then Colback scraped a loose ball to Lewis when a more significant strike would probably have seen a goal.
In injury time, Richard Wright came up for a corner and was almost caught as the impressive Boyd broke, but Colback made a fine saving tackle just inside the Town half with the goal gaping.
Just before the whistle, Healy shot over from Walters’s cross from the right, but the equaliser wouldn’t come.
Town were better than they were on Saturday with Couñago providing a creative spark particularly in the early stages. The Blues should have had the game won via Tamas Priskin’s penalty, a miss which ultimately proved pivotal.
From there, the home side improved and Town made too many errors at the back and after Couñago and Priskin were replaced there was little quality up front with Joe Lewis the quieter of the two keepers.
That the Blues need new additions was again all too evident, although Couñago’s performance on his return was one positive to take from the match.
Town: R Wright, D Wright, Delaney, Balkestein, Bruce, Healy, Colback, Martin (Upson 75), Quinn, Priskin (Walters 54), Couñago (Wickham 54). Unused: Lee-Barrett, Smith, Trotter, McAuley. Att: 5,451.