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Peterborough United 2-1 Ipswich Town - Match Report
Tuesday, 9th Feb 2021 21:07

James Norwood gave Town an early lead at London Road but goals from Jonson Clarke-Harris and Joe Ward saw Peterborough to a 2-1 victory over the Blues. Norwood hit his third goal of the season in the sixth minute but Clarke-Harris headed a leveller in the 38th minute and then Ward won it with a free-kick five minutes after the break.

Skipper Chambers came in at right-back for Luke Matheson, who dropped to the bench, while Ward was back on the left with Myles Kenlock among the subs.

Bishop returned at the top of a narrow midfield diamond with Norwood joining Troy Parrott up front, Town eschewing their usual 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 system presumably due to the tricky London Road pitch.

Former Posh wideman Gwion Edwards and Freddie Sears were also on the bench, while Luke Thomas was missing from the 18.

Peterborough were without star attacker Siriki Dembele with Mo Eisa coming into an otherwise unchanged side.

Despite being cold, there was little sign of snow in the Peterborough area but with the pitch muddy and short on grass.

After both teams and the officials took a knee in support of Black Lives Matter, Joe Ward hit a powerful fifth-minute shot which Tomas Holy claimed confidently.

A minute later, the Blues, wearing their burgundy and blue third strip, went in front. Holy kicked long - in line with the Blues’ early approach on the Sunday morning pitch - and Frankie Kent and Posh skipper Mark Beevers had got in one another’s way as they tried to head clear on the edge of the box.

Bishop reacted quickly and deftly played a pass to the left of the box for Norwood, who hit a low shot which beat keeper Christy Pym at his near post.

On 14 Downes, playing in the holding role with Dozzell ahead of him to his left and Judge to the right, was booked for what looked a solid ball-winning challenge on Dan Butler on halfway with the Posh players appealing that it should have been a red card. While the Blues midfielder won the ball, some referees may well have deemed it an out-of-control tackle.

There was a scare for Town in the 22nd minute when a ball in from the right deflected over Holy. However, the keeper moved quickly to get himself in the way as Eisa shot at goal from eight yards.

In the 28th minute, with Peterborough trying to play football despite the surface and the Blues more direct and looking to counter, Eisa cut in from the left and hit a shot into Holy’s arms.


Just before the half hour, Holy missed his punch from a corner but somehow managed to bundle it behind for another flag-kick before it dropped for a Posh player.

Norwood needed treatment for a knock on 32 soon after fouling Ward in the centre circle as Town looked to break following a Posh corner having left three players up spread widely along the halfway line at the flag-kick, as they had against Blackpool at the weekend.

Eisa shot over from the edge of the area in the 36th minute and three minutes Posh levelled.

Butler crossed from the left with Judge unable to cut it out with Chambers chasing back from being involved further up the field, and Clarke-Harris rose between Ward and Mark McGuinness to nod back across Holy and into the corner of the net, the striker’s 17th goal in all competitions this season.

In injury time Downes was spoken to by referee Ben Toner for speaking out of turn after a decision had gone against Dozzell having been booked for his earlier challenge.

Soon afterwards, with snow now falling, Toner’s whistle ended a half which had started perfectly for the Blues with Norwood’s well-taken goal.

However, Town had failed to threaten after that with Peterborough able to pass the ball around despite the pitch and use the wide areas left open by the Blues’ narrow system.

The Peterborough goal was well-deserved when it came, although looked one the Blues will see as having been preventable.

Town switched Norwood, presumably at least partly due to his injury, although the system hadn’t really worked, for ex-Posh winger Edwards at half-time. The Blues moved to 4-1-4-1 with the Welshman on the left and Bishop on the right.

Eisa hit a low shot form the right across Holy soon after the restart, the Czech getting down and across to palm it to safety out to the opposite flank.

Five minutes into the second half, Posh took the lead. After a foul by McGuinness on Clarke-Harris not far outside the area to the right, Ward struck a free-kick past the end of the Town wall and into the corner of the net with Holy watching it on its way when he should have done better.

On 55 Ward and a well-advanced Holy gave Eisa a sniff of a ball played over the top 10 yards outside the area but Downes did well to get back and cut out the danger before the Posh striker fouled him. The keeper may have expected the ball to come through to him more quickly but it held up on the heavy pitch.

With Town not having threatened, aside from a couple of blocked shots from the edge of the box, Posh went close to a third when Sammie Szmodics was unable to get enough on a well-struck low Clarke-Harris cross to divert it goalwards. Moments later, Town swapped Judge for Josh Harrop.

As the match passed the 70-minute mark the Blues were seeing most of the ball with Posh starting to tire. However on 71 Szmodics was sent away on the break on the left and hit a shot across Holy which the keeper batted away.

Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson made a triple change in the 74th minute with Ricky-Jade Jones, Idris Kanu and Ethan Hamilton replacing Eisa, Reece Brown and goalscorer Ward.

Two minutes later, Dozzell was booked for a cynical foul on Kanu with the Blues feeling Ward had been fouled moments earlier.

Peterborough claimed a penalty in the 77th minute when Szmodics hooked a shot at goal from 10 yards which ricocheted off Ward and fortunately flew straight at Holy. Posh were convinced the ball had struck the Irishman’s hand but referee Toner wasn’t interested.

Within a minute Szmodics hit a powerful effort from distance which Holy palmed wide before Sears replaced Bishop with a third Posh goal looking more likely than a Town second. Edwards moved to the right with Sears on the left.

As the game moved into its final five minutes there were the first signs of snow settling on the pitch.

Town had rarely threatened throughout the second half but in the penultimate scheduled minute, a Parrott shot was well saved by Pym following a corner and then the former Exeter keeper saved sharply again down at his right post from Harrop.

The Blues were unable to create another opportunity and referee Toner’s whistle confirmed Posh’s victory, a double over the visitors and yet another Town defeat to a side towards the top of the table.

Despite having got off to such a good start, the Blues were second best in the first half taking a direct approach which seemed to be an over the top reaction to the state of the Peterborough pitch.

The narrow midfield allowed the home side, who seemed to have little problem passing despite the surface, to attack down the flanks from which they scored their first goal.

Town switched back to a more regular system and approach at half-time but were again bested by Posh, who probably should have won more comfortably with the Blues only going close to a leveller right at the end.

A first away defeat in four sees Town drop back to 11th, but still four points off the play-offs ahead of Saturday’s trip to Shrewsbury, who beat Sunderland 2-1 at home this evening.

Peterborough: Pym, Butler, Thompson, Beevers (c), Kent, Eisa (Jones 74), Taylor, Clarke-Harris, Brown (Kanu 74), Szmodics, Ward (Hamilton 74). Unused: Gyollai, Burrows, Blake-Tracy, Mason.

Town: Holy, Chambers (c), Woolfenden, McGuinness, Ward, Dozzell, Downes, Bishop, Judge (Harrop 64), Parrott, Norwood (Edwards 46). Unused: Cornell, Kenlock, Matheson, Sears, Drinan. Referee: Ben Toner (Lancashire).


Photo: Action Images



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norfolkbluey added 22:51 - Feb 9
THE REALLY SAD THING THIS SEASON IS THAT WITH A GOOD MANAGER WE WOULD BE AT OR NEAR THE TOP BUT UNDER LAMBERT WE WILL BE LUCKY TO STAY IN THIS LEAGUE. UNBELIEVABLY BAD TEAM SELECTIONS BEING CONTINUALLY MADE AND TONIGHT WAS TYPICAL OF LAMBERT'S CONTINUED POOR IDEAS. HE HAS TO GO NOT TOMORROW BUT TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!
11

RobsonWark added 22:51 - Feb 9
Hey why you all so mad? Good news is Chambers is still injury free wohooo and can play the next game and Skuse is almost ready to come back and wants to play a part in our season too!!

We are going to storm division 2 next season!!!

3

StavangerBlue added 22:53 - Feb 9
Is the plan to get relegated to a league we can compete? If so, I will get the National League South logos ready.
4

KillarneyBlue added 22:56 - Feb 9
Mick now at Cardiff !! Wish we had him now!!!
2

KillarneyBlue added 22:56 - Feb 9
Mick now at Cardiff !! Wish we had him now!!!
-2

RobsonWark added 22:57 - Feb 9
StavangerBlue added 22:53 - Feb 9
"Is the plan to get relegated to a league we can compete? If so, I will get the National League South logos ready."

Yeah, we will be playing Ipswich Wanders soon and Chambers will still be our right back!
3

Northstandveteran added 23:13 - Feb 9
Still wearing my

"Not in the least bit surprised face"
3

istanblue added 23:16 - Feb 9
Frank on Radio Suffolk: Holy had cold feet so couldn't move for the freekick!
0

Vanisleblue2 added 23:19 - Feb 9
Get all these clowns out of my club
Lee O'Neil, Paul Lambert and ALL your staff.
You are all an embarrassment to the badge
3

Facefacts added 23:22 - Feb 9
Most of it's been said. So so poor this team is going nowhere but down.
3

StowTractorBoy added 23:23 - Feb 9
Being a dedicated and devoted Town fan for more years than I care to mention this is the lowest ebb that my beloved Club has reached. Yes we have an owner who has ploughed in millions but sadly has no idea of how to run a football Club. His knowledge of football is clearly very low and some of his managerial appointments have been truly awful. Hurst and Lambert being the pick of the worst brigade. I beg you now Mr. Evans please relieve Mr Lambert of his duties before we plummet further down the league ladder. There are candidates out there to replace him not least Dyer and Butcher who would give the Club the identity it deserves. Paul Cook is still out there and could do a job for us. Lambert has torn apart our support with his ridiculous after match interviews and opinions and tonight just emphasises his respect of us supporters when he can't even be bothered to face the press. For the sake of all the die hard fans of this wonderful Club please Mr Evans make yourself popular and get rid of the most incompetent Ipswich Town manager we have ever had.
8

marco5113 added 23:31 - Feb 9
just go!!!
2

marco5113 added 23:31 - Feb 9
just go!!!
1

jong75 added 00:52 - Feb 10
While people are paying to watch on iplayer, renewing season tickets, buying merchandise etc, nothing will change. Its the only language Evans understands. Vote with your feet.
3

therein61 added 07:13 - Feb 10
Manager?? you are a complete PLank.
2

paulm3paw added 07:25 - Feb 10
Delia must be paying his wages or on a promise lol...........This isn't funny anymore!
2

BcarefulwhatUWish4 added 07:29 - Feb 10
It's good we had such a great start to the season. Imagine if we hadn't....
1

tractorboybig added 07:36 - Feb 10
are we just cut and pasting comments from this time two seasons ago?
1

martin587 added 07:45 - Feb 10
7.42 AM and I'm reading nothing to the fact that Lambert has gone.Will he be gone by 10AM.We can only hope and prey.🙏
5

Skip73 added 07:56 - Feb 10
Even Dolphin has lost patience. When the die hard optimists start calling for change, theres nothing left. Time to go Shambert
4

itfcserbia added 07:59 - Feb 10
So this guy just decides he doesn't have to face press or fans anymore? Like owner like manager I guess. Dumb and dumber.
5

mikemuhrenthijssen added 08:07 - Feb 10
Such a shame as he had some 'good spirit' and momentum from Saturday... totally lost that tonight... kind of get why he started like that with the pitch and the number of games... but I would have rather started with same team and see what the outcome would have been ...after this amount of time he doesn't know his best team to fit a system that does not compliment the personnel he has....
I cannot believe he did such a great job at Norwich ... or was it just Ian Culverhouse...

No strategy ... no big plans...

Evans is ripping the soul out of the club and there is no exit strategy for him...unless he leaves it to stagnate and eventually die (administration).
3

Essexipswichboy added 08:23 - Feb 10
As I said on here before ....players don't want lambert
Yes they won't easy Saturday ( shows what can be done)
This was just doing enough to keep us in this league
That's all they want to do until the manager is gone.

How do you think kenlock feels ....he comes under a lot of criticism ....he has just played two of his best games
In a town shirt including a clean sheet....he is dropped

I know people might vote me down but I was a little
Bit impressed withe the owner sanctioning these
Latest loaners so even he must of raised an eyebrow
Last night ....I'm truly convinced the right manager
Could/would have this squad storming this leauge

LAMBERT OUT
I'll be checking every hour
9

RobITFC added 08:30 - Feb 10
I was fuming when i saw the team and it has now got to the stage that I no longer am interested until Lambert has gone. The man is clueless and a coward for once again hiding from the press. Pathetic!!
3

dirtydingusmagee added 08:48 - Feb 10
itfcserbia, Evans has probably told Lambert to ignore the press and the fans just as he does. What a bloody way to operate.Evans has overseen this clubs demise,and really shows contempt for the fans,he has failed,and is happy to have a failing manager who is also showing contempt for fans and press. AND SOME WILL STILL SUPPORT THEM,AND SAY EVANS SAVED THE CLUB ,
4


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