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Sheffield Wednesday 2, Posh 1 - Posh are simply not good enough
IT would probably be kinder in the long run to call the season off now.
IT would probably be kinder in the long run to call the season off now.It's time for a mercy killing, for a club to be put out of its misery.
The fact is Posh are not good enough for this level of football and they haven't been for a long time.
Hiding behind hopeless referees, the occasional injury, players with more ego than attitude and distracted managers no longer works. A policy of trying to conquer the Championship with rookies has flopped – it's been like expecting the local rambling club to scale Everest.
It's a shame because many of these players have given the club two of the greatest seasons imaginable. Sadly fans live in the present and three wins in 26 matches tells a story so horrible, Stephen King could write a novel about it.
Even the bad sides are beating Posh comfortably. Sheffield Wednesday were dire and yet if Posh's late surge for a point had succeeded it would have been a gross miscarriage of justice.
It was a dreadful contest full of misplaced passes and aimless humps upfield settled in the end by two Marcus Tudgay headers from corners.
Jake Livermore's late reply led to a few hairy moments in the Wednesday penalty area, but it was pressure generated by home side nerves as much as Posh poise.
Match details:
SHEFFIELD WED 2
POSH 1
GOALS: Posh – Livermore (76 mins).
Wednesday – Tudgay (45 mins & 67 mins).
REFEREE: D. Foster 6.
ATTENDANCE: 24,842.
Yellow cards:
Posh – Livermore (foul)
Wednesday – Buxton (foul).
Reaction:
Posh's bottle is questioned after Wednesday defeat.
Injury could end Boyd's run of consecutive games.
Irvine relieved as Wednesday make it three wins in a row.
Makeshift defence gives good display.
My Posh Day: Sheffield resident has a miserable day.
Manager Mark Cooper couldn't have looked or sounded more downbeat after the match. He could be excused for dreaming of matches at Histon rather than Hillsborough.
To be fair Cooper inherited a messy, bloated squad with half-a-dozen wingers and no right-back and he showed far more passion in 10 minutes in a press conference than his team managed in 90 minutes on the pitch.
He certainly had no doubts who was responsible for this shambolic effort. He simply shovelled all the blame on to the players.
Exaggerating a normal football clich, he and his staff treated the match like a World Cup Final. Unfortunately they were rewarded by a performance to match the lethargy of the Brazilian side in Paris in 1998.
There were exceptions. Charlie Lee, despite looking like he'd fallen out of Exodus Geohaghon's pocket, was immense at the heart of the defence, while left-back Scott Griffiths, despite some accusing eyes when Tudgay emerged unmarked to score his goals, battled his little heart out, most notably when producing an astonishing trio of blocks to thwart Leon Clarke (twice) and Darren Potter in the same second-half attack.
Midfielder Livermore also covered acres of ground in another dynamic display at either end of the pitch. He was probably the only one of the six forward players to do himself justice and he deserved his moment of glory from a low 18-yard drive after full debutant Josh Simpson's goalbound volley had rebounded into his path.
Ironically the expected weakness in this Posh line-up remained unexposed, possibly because Wednesday's attacking tempo was too slow to worry Geohaghon and Lee unduly.
The bigger man did fine in open play and his long throw almost created a late equaliser for substitute Aaron Mclean who instead drove weakly at home keeper Lee Grant.
Rueben Reid did head wide when unmarked at one corner and headed against the top of the bar from another.
But a succession of long balls were gratefully gobbled up by some formidable Wednesday defenders who were rarely asked to turn and chase the much quicker Craig Mackail-Smith or Izale McLeod.
Posh keeper Joe Lewis saved well from Tudgay and Darren Purse in the first half, but totally lost his bearings for the second, decisive goal. Potter rattled the Posh crossbar in the first half with a fierce strike which deflected off Livermore.
Wednesday have now won three games in succession on the back of a simple, yet effective gameplan carried out successfully by players of limited ability.
That fact alone should give Posh a little hope, along with the knowledge that they probably won't play this poorly again.
Player ratings
Peterborough
Joe Lewis 6
A couple of fine saves but bad misjudgement for second Wednesday goal
Scott Griffiths 7
Some amazing clearances and blocks, but questions about his marking at corners
Exodus Geohaghon 6
The big man let no one down, steady and solid
Charlie Lee 8
Very impressive considering his height disadvantage. Desire and commitment shone through
Josh Simpson 6
Didn't notice him much on his full debut, some neat touches though
Jake Livermore 7
Outstanding in the second-half when popping up to great effect at both ends of the pitch, good goal
Reuben Reid 5
Not sure he's a natural wide man as he delivered few crosses
George Boyd 5
Quiet until limping off early in the second-half
Craig Mackail-Smith 5
Team not playing to his strengths, spending too much time with his back to goal
Izale Mcleod 5
He's rusty, but he has pace, strength and aerial ability
Subs:
Shaun Batt: (for Boyd, 55 mins).
Aaron Mclean: (for McLeod, 69 mins).
Chris Whelpdale: (for Reid, 90 mins).
Tommy Rowe: (not used).
Lee Frecklington: (not used).
Tom Williams: (not used).
James McKeown: (not used).
Sheffield
Lee Grant: 7
Tommy Spurr: 7
Lewis Buxton: 6
Darren Purse: 7
Mark Beevers: 7
James O'Connor: 6
Tom Soares: 6
Michael Gray: 7
Darren Potter: 6
Leon Clarke: 5
Marcus Tudgay: 7
Substitutes:
Luke Varney: (for Clarke, 72 mins).
Akpo Sodje: (not used).
Sean McAllister: (not used).
Etienne Esajas: (not used).
Richard Hinds: (not used).
Frank Simek: (not used).
Arron Jameson: (not used).
Match preview:
Cooper insists it's time for action for Posh.
Lee and Geohaghon: We won't let Posh down.
Wednesday win leaves Posh even further adrift.
Spotlight on the Sheffield Wednesday, the 'Owls'
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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