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.