Preview: Posh v Middlesbrough
Star man - Adam Johnson ADAM Johnson has emerged from the shadows of Stewart Downing to deliver some outstanding left-wing displays this season.
Star man - Adam Johnson
ADAM Johnson has emerged from the shadows of Stewart Downing to deliver some outstanding left-wing displays this season.The England Under 21 colleague of Posh goalkeeper Joe Lewis has terrorised Championship defences so frequently he's become a hot tip to be snapped up by a Premier League club during the January transfer window.
Johnson has bagged nine goals to soar to the top of the Boro scoring charts thanks to his ability to dribble brilliantly and shoot accurately with either foot.
Others to watch
NEW Boro boss Gordon Strachan was busy in the loan transfer market even before the hectic activity of deadline day yesterday.
He has taken strikers Dave Kitson and Marcus Bent from Stoke City and Birmingham City respectively to try and help Johnson on the scoring front.
Leroy Lit, a veteran of numerous clubs including Bristol City, Reading and Norwich was already at The Riverside when Strachan arrived and his goal against Nottingham Forest was his third of the campaign.
Midfielder Isaiah Osbourne is another player on temporary secondment to Boro. He's a highly-rated Aston Villa youngster.
Julio Arca is an Argentinian midfielder with a full bag of tricks, while former Portsmouth player Gary O'Neil has been made captain by Strachan.
Central defender David Wheater was the Boro skipper, but Strachan wants him to concentrate on his football. Wheater has England caps to his name at every level from Under 16 to Under 21.
Wheater will probably partner St Ledger at the heart of the Boro defence with Austrian international Emanuel Pogatetz at left-back.
Right-back Rhys Williams, an Australian product of the Boro Academy, is suspended tomorrow so former Arsenal defender Justin Hoyte could win a recall.
Live updates on Saturday: Posh v Middlesbrough - join us and tell us what you think of Posh's performance.
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Goalkeeper Brad Jones has been in outstanding form.
LINK MAN: PLAYERS with a foot in both camps
RAY Hankin was a quality striker for Posh. Unfortunately it's not his football that he's remembered for at London Road.
Hankin was dismissed an astonishing four times during his first season at Posh. He received a fifth red card the following season prompting Posh boss John Wile to effectively sack him.
And that was a great shame for a player who moved to Posh from Middlesbrough in 1983 for a nominal fee. He scored twice on his debut in a 5-0 Fourth Division win over Torquay and netted another as Posh famously overcame a 3-0 first leg deficit against Crystal Palace in the League Cup three days later.
But the honeymoon period was brief thanks to Hankin's uncanny ability to fall foul of officials. At times he was harshly treated, but at other times he displayed the hottest of heads.
Hankin made 38 appearances for Posh and scored eight goals. He scored just once in 21 appearances for Boro.
He quit football briefly after leaving Posh before re-appearing equally briefly for Wolves under the management of Tommy Docherty.
Hankin went on to become the Football in the Community Officer at Newcastle and managed Darlington for a short time.
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Weather for Peterborough
Friday 19 March 2010
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 2 C - 8 C
Wind Speed: 14 Knots
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 2 C - 10 C
Wind Speed: 18 Knots
Wind direction: North west
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