PREVIEW: City concentrating on promotion after heroic cup effort

City were close to EH Cup glory when leading Reading 4-2 with 20 minutes to go at Bretton Gate before a late flurry of five goals gave the top-flight side a flattering 7-4 win.

City had beaten Bedford 1-0 24 hours earlier to maintain their East Premier A Division title challenge, but the exertions required to see that game out caught up with them in the latter stages of the Reading game.

City are back in league action at Dereham tomorrow (November 5) and Booth is expecting a much different type of contest.

“If every East League side played an attacking game like Reading we would have every chance of finishing top,” Booth insisted. “But East sides won’t do that and we will definitely face a different challenge on Saturday when Dereham will get plenty of bodies behind the ball while trying to hit us on the break.

“It was an incredible effort by the whole team against Reading, but it’s a shame we had such a tough physical game against Bedford the day before as that caught up with us in the end.”

The Premier A Division title race looks like being a three-horse affair between City, leaders Old Loughtonians and St Albans. There is already a five-point gap to Harleston in fourth.

City seconds moved to the top of the Premier B Division as they also made it six wins out of seven with a 5-3 win at Felixstowe last weekend. Spalding dropped to second after being held to a 2-2 draw by lowly Old Southendian.

City thirds were also celeberating. They drew 1-1 at home to Blueharts seconds to collect their first Division One point of the season, but it should have been an even better result as Ben Connolly missed an open goal soon after skipper Neil Lake had equalised.

City of Peterborough Ladies host leaders Dereham at Bretton Gate tomorrow (1pm). City were narrowly beaten by a last-gasp goal at second-placed Cambridge City last weekend to drop a place to fourth.

City Ladies seconds are just a point off top spot in Division Two North West after a 3-1 win over local rivals Bourne Deeping. Jeorgie Carr scored twice with Cari Austin also on target.

Spalding firsts head this division, a position they maintained with a 5-1 win at Cambridge University thirds.

City Ladies thirds were happy with their 0-0 draw from a tough Division Three North West clash at Cambridge City fourths, while City fourths ran out impressive 5-1 winners at Bourne Deeping thirds in Division Four North West thanks to a hat-trick from Ed Whybrow and futher goals from Miriam Wood and Abby Carter.

Biggest winners of last weekend were March Ladies who crushed Alford seconds 16-0 in Division Four. Maggie Powell scored four times in the first-half with Charlotte Tweed also going on to claim four goals.