FC Peterborough 4-3 Coton Green FC

The ticket prices may be higher than last season, but if goals are what you want for your money, then following FC Peterborough is certainly the place to be.

Across seven games so far, there have been an incredible 38 goals. Unfortunately, too many of those have gone in at the wrong end!

Peterborough will know that the defensive record needs addressing. Conceding an average of around three goals per game is simply not sustainable if we want to win matches consistently, let alone challenge higher up the table.

The positive from this one was that the Greens were far more clinical. The concern was that another sluggish second-half spell nearly allowed a commanding position to slip away.

We are still adjusting to the demands of this league compared with the Thurlow Nunn. Perhaps it is simply the reality of stepping up to Step 5, but the opposition are stronger, more organised, more physical and technically better.

This was another lesson.

Thankfully, this time it came with three points.

FC Peterborough 1-0 Coton Green FC

The first real warning came almost directly from kick-off.

Toby held onto the ball a little too long and was charged down in a dangerous area.

Toby, you knew that was going in the match report!

Inside the opening five minutes, a Coton Green free-kick was crossed into the box and cleared, but the loose ball was followed by a low left-footed effort that travelled wide of Danny’s left-hand post.

Peterborough then created a glorious opportunity of their own.

Dave broke into the penalty area and could perhaps have been selfish and taken the shot himself. Instead, with two players arriving alongside him, he picked out Derrick, whose first-time side-footed effort went straight at the goalkeeper.

Shortly afterwards, Jack challenged for possession and the ball dropped to Vitor. His diagonal pass towards Dave was intercepted by a Coton Green centre-back, but the attempted clearance somehow looped over his own goalkeeper and into the net.

Yes, the ball looped.

But surely the keeper could have made some attempt to save it!

Either way, Peterborough were ahead.

FC Peterborough 2-0 Coton Green FC

It was noticeable that Coton Green carried a real threat from the left, with their number 10 Rossi causing problems and delivering dangerous balls into the box.

Peterborough, however, were not sitting back.

Dave almost broke through again, only for the goalkeeper to bravely race from his goal and beat him to the ball. The loose ball fell to Jack, who managed to get a shot away under pressure and won a corner.

At the other end, Coton Green almost equalised when a cross from the left sailed over Danny and struck the post.

Think West Ham’s third goal against Liverpool in the 2006 FA Cup Final and you’ll get the picture!

Then, in the 29th minute, Ollie won an important challenge and Peterborough broke forward.

Shouts of “pass it to Derrick!” could be heard from the bench.

The pass came, but Jack had burst forward from midfield and latched onto the ball first. He rounded the advancing goalkeeper before calmly rolling the ball into the empty net.

2-0.

Credit must also go to Derrick for making the run and creating the space.

FC Peterborough 3-0 Coton Green FC

Derrick was hungry for more and continued to attack down the flank.

Vitor sprayed the ball out to him and his dangerous cross had to be cleared.

From the resulting pressure, Toby saw an effort blocked before Jack picked up possession centrally and found Ollie on the right.

Ollie delivered an excellent cross into the area and Dave met it with a superb header to make it 3-0 in the 33rd minute.

An excellent goal.

Coton Green must have been wondering quite how they were three goals behind, because they had played some good football and created several dangerous moments of their own.

Half-time: FC Peterborough 3-0 Coton Green FC

The visitors had a glorious opportunity to respond before the interval when they broke through the defensive line.

Liam was beaten to the ball, but the attacker hesitated rather than shooting and was eventually tackled, much to the frustration of his own team-mates.

“Why didn’t you shoot?” could be heard from their side of the pitch.

Danny then produced an excellent point-blank save before another Coton Green attack was halted by a tight offside decision.

Their frustration was beginning to show, with several players unhappy with the officials.

They also struck the crossbar with a strong header.

Peterborough were understandably delighted to reach half-time three goals ahead, but there could be no complacency.

A response from Coton Green was coming.

FC Peterborough 3-1 Coton Green FC

And it came immediately.

Coton Green started the second half firmly on the front foot, with most of the opening play taking place inside the Peterborough half.

Their urgency was summed up when one player even jumped over the barrier to retrieve the ball for a throw-in.

Liam cleared one attack for a corner, but the Greens were slow to react to what followed.

A short ball was played into the box, followed by a quick one-two and a cross into the danger area. Danny initially saved the header, but the loose ball was converted from close range.

52 minutes.

3-1.

Game on again.

FC Peterborough 3-2 Coton Green FC

The pressure continued and, in the 64th minute, Coton Green scored again.

A free-kick from around the halfway line was launched into the penalty area. A backward header dropped into the six-yard box and, somehow, the ball ended up in the back of the net.

Who exactly was to blame?

Perhaps that is one for the post-match analysis.

What was certain was that an unnecessary defensive mess had given the visitors all the encouragement they needed.

A first-half demolition was suddenly becoming a very nervous afternoon.

FC Peterborough 4-2 Coton Green FC

Crisis?

What crisis?

Thankfully, it didn’t last long.

Peterborough responded with Jack linking well with Vitor, whose pass released Dom.

Dom kept his composure and finished to restore the two-goal advantage.

4-2.

A hugely important goal and fantastic to see Dom take his opportunity after coming into the starting eleven.

There were other encouraging contributions throughout the afternoon too.

Toby and Sultan produced important defensive headers, Derrick showed tremendous determination with one sprint covering almost three-quarters of the pitch, while Lamy’s sliding challenge in the first half certainly deserves a mention.

Players were stepping forward when needed.

FC Peterborough 4-3 Coton Green FC

Unfortunately, the afternoon was not going to finish comfortably.

Coton Green attacked through Rossi, who attempted to work his way past Liam but lost possession through his own trickery.

Jack collected the loose ball but, rather than clearing his lines, attempted to dribble out of trouble.

Possession was lost and the ball eventually fell kindly for Coton Green, whose player produced an excellent left-footed strike from outside the box that beat Danny low to his right.

73 minutes.

4-3.

Just what everyone’s nerves needed!

Full-time: FC Peterborough 4-3 Coton Green FC

Coton Green piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser.

One effort was fired high over the bar after another dangerous ball over the top.

Then came the moment when they really should have levelled.

A cross from the left was headed back across goal and an attempted clearance only created more danger, dropping inside the six-yard box.

In the resulting chaos, substitute Joshua managed to get a side-footed effort towards goal, but Danny was there to make the save.

Peterborough survived.

The whistle eventually arrived and the Greens had secured their first home victory in three attempts.

Three points.

Seven goals.

And probably a few more grey hairs amongst the Green Army.

Thoughts

Perhaps our early expectations regarding survival at this level have been slightly distorted by the quality of opposition we have faced during the opening weeks.

Our first five league opponents have included Desborough Town, currently second; St Neots Town, third; Coton Green, sixth; Rugby Borough, 11th; with another meeting against Eynesbury Rovers, currently eighth, still to come.

Apart from the second-half capitulation against St Neots, Peterborough have competed.

And now we have won both home and away.

There will undoubtedly be easier games ahead.

Are we here simply to survive?

Certainly not.

Are we here to challenge?

Certainly yes.

Perhaps our true expectations will only become clear after a dozen league games.

We have been here before.

When FC Peterborough first stepped up to Step 6 a few years ago, our opening 12 games brought just one victory, one draw and ten defeats.

Yet we comfortably survived that season after putting together a strong run of results.

Momentum is everything.

Sometimes it only takes one game to get the ball rolling.

Let this victory be that game.

The future is bright.

The future is Green.

Zahid Bashir