A walkover and a win for the Peterborough United deaf team

Posh deaf team player Henry Rosier (blue) challenges for possession in the 7-3 win over St Albans.

Peterborough United made it two wins from two in the English Deaf Football League Southern Division with a 7-3 rout of St Albans in Watford, although their first game was a 3-0 walkover after Bristol City failed to find a referee for the game!

So this game was the first time this season that former GB manager Philip Gardner was able to play his new young signings together. England prospect Henry Bowe is just 17. Rhyan Evans and Lewis Byton also joined the club in the summer and lined up with Posh Deaf Youth graduate Will Palmer and Thomas Hosier – all those four only 16.

It didn’t take them long to get off the mark. In the second minute Bowe burst forward and picked out Lewis Byton who slotted it past the keeper.

Two minutes later, Will Palmer jinked past a shell-shocked defence and set up Qadeer Hussain for an easy tap-in.

Henry Rowe on the ball ofr the Posh deaf team against St Albans.

The onslaught continued. On the 10th minute Bowe sprang through the back line and was clumsily fouled while one-on-one with the keeper. The referee showed yellow and the free-kick hit the wall.

Palmer made it 3-0 in the 15th minute. Outsprinting the left back on a dash from halfway, his low shot ricocheted off the keeper back into play. Palmer, still full of sprint, got there first and fired the ball into the net.

St Albans scored twice in the first-half but they never really looked in contention. Will Rolls, captain and still a spring chicken at 24, restored the three-goal advantage with a powerful strike high into the net from 25 yards.

The same pattern continued in the second half. Palmer set up Bowe then Kevin Cordell, returning to football after a break, drove the ball low past the keeper from 20 yards after Bowe fed him the ball.

St Albans pulled another back, but the battle was lost.

In the closing moments, 16-year-old sub, and another Posh Deaf Youth graduate, Aaron Osker’s shot was deflected in by 16-year old Rhyan Evans.

The kids contributed to every single goal. Liam Avey’s man of the match performance from right back earned the manager’s praise.

“There were periods in the game when we looked tired’ said Gardner after the game. “We need to work on consistency. Liam Avey gives it everything. Passion.”