A reality check for Peterborough Sports, but an immediate chance to put things right
Interim Peterborough Sports manager Mark Ducket admits his team suffered a reality check as they bowed out of the FA Trophy at PIMS Park on Saturday.
Sports were cock-a-hoop to win their first game following the shock departure of boss Graham Drury, in a Southern Premier Division Central fixture at Leiston on Tuesday night.
But they couldn’t replicate that form against division al rivals Banbury yesterday as they slipped to a 3-1 home defeat. Sports have a chance to right this wrong when Redditch visit PIMS Park for a league game on Tuesday (7.45pm kick off).
But a slim squad has suffered another injury blow as forward Finn O’Boyle will be out for a while after suffering a bad hamstring injury yesterday. Full-back Ben Hart and back-up goalkeeper Sam Edwards missed the Banbury game because of recent injuries.
Ducket was unable to say what his immediate future is. He has taken charge of two matches after working as Drury’s assistant.
“Football has a way of bringing you back down to reality pretty quickly,” Ducket told Peterborough Community Radio. “And with all that is going on at the club right now I felt it would be sooner rather than later.
“The boys did work very hard, but it just wasn’t to be. They are still a set of new players trying to forge new relationships so they are still learning. Credit to Banbury for coming with a good game-plan and executing it perfectly, but I can’t credit them for opening us up as all three goals were mistakes from us.
"We also had a lot possession and we missed some chances, although we scored a wonderful goal thanks to an undefendable cross from Connor Wood and a great header from Ben Beresford which got us back level.
"That was our time to go on and win the game, but they scored a worldie which can happen if you play square passes close to your own area.
"I wanted another league game straight after winning at Leiston, but now I’m glad we didn’t have one, and we have a chance to put things right on Tuesday.
"We have a slim squad with injuries and with players having aching bodies. We have players who can’t play three games in a week, but I will pick a team that will be competitive. Redditch are a good side who will have their tails up after a great result on Saturday.”
Redditch won 1-0 at Bedworth United in their FA Trophy tie yesterday. They are 12th in the Southern Premier Division, four places and three points behind Sports.