Peterborough United go top of the Deaf League

Posh went top of the English Deaf South League on goal difference after beating Charlton 8-1 at Yaxley on Sunday (September 30).
Will Rolls has a shot on goal for Posh.Will Rolls has a shot on goal for Posh.
Will Rolls has a shot on goal for Posh.

Manager Phil Gardner, also a keen chess player, was away on international duty at the World Deaf Chess Championships in Georgia and left the team in the hands of another former international coach Tony Adams. Tony’s father played for Posh in the 1960s.

Striker Henry Bowe, so effective in Peterborough’s last win two weeks ago against St Albans, was absent and in his place came formidable striker Lee McCann. Scott Moxey was also introduced back into the side and couldn’t believe his luck just moments into the game.

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Within seconds of the kick-off Will Palmer struck a long-range drive that crashed against the bar leaving Moxey with an easy header from close range.

Rhyan Evans gets a cross in for Posh.Rhyan Evans gets a cross in for Posh.
Rhyan Evans gets a cross in for Posh.

Charlton then held off waves of attack for the next 12 minutes, using their physical dominance at the back to contain Peterborough’s forwards until Posh won a free-kick from an unintentional but very definite hand-ball about 25 yards out.

Peterborough’s most experienced player, David Adams, a veteran of mainstream local football, stepped up and placed his free-kick in the top corner beyond Charlton’s shorter-than-average goalkeeper.

The game’s atmosphere then began to sour. Posh’s right-back, Liam Avey, known for his uncompromising challenges, ignited fury amongst the Charlton ranks when he totally wiped out the unsuspecting winger in what the referee deemed a fair challenge. With some fresh beef between the teams, Adams wasted no time in leaving his ‘Welcome to Peterborough’ mark on a Charlton midfielder in the very next passage of play. He earned a yellow card in the process and the resulting free-kick curled safely past the post.

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Soon after it was Posh’s turn for a free-kick and captain Will Rolls curled the ball into the wall. The rebound found its way back to Rolls and it sat up nicely, begging to be half-volleyed. Bang and the net bulged for the third time and Rolls scored his second long-range goal in as many games.

In the 32nd minute, Palmer, celebrating his 17th birthday, broke into the Charlton box and received his own special birthday present from the Charlton defence in the form of a one-way trip to ground-level. After some debate amongst the goal-hungry Posh forwards, Palmer was given the birthday honour but had the penalty saved.

In the second half Posh were relentless.

Qadeer Hussain, thriving in his new position of left-back, always looked to get forward. He’s got skill and pace and at 33, seems to be in the form of his life. His low cross on 49 minutes was turned in by a Charlton defender.

Moxey was shown red for a dangerous, albeit unintentional, challenge on the keeper on 56 minutes that left him writhing on the ground … but even with 10 men, Peterborough continued to dominate.

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McCann set up Lewis Byton for a tap-in and then Rhyan Evans showed his quality. His sublime touch found him the space on the left and he placed a perfect cross on the head of a leaping Byton who headed the ball in the net for the sixth.

Charlton pulled one back on 75 minutes after the referee overturned the linesman’s offside flag but Posh still had more to say.

Evans was bought down in the box and placed his penalty in the top right corner and in the final moments of the game, Palmer put the cherry on the cake with a fine outside of the right-foot strike from an almost impossible angle after sprinting with the ball all the way from half-way.

Posh face second-placed Reading on October 14 at Yaxley.