Olympic challenge to start the season for Peterborough Sports who are confident they can challenge for a play-off place

Peterborough Sports have the quality and the momentum to challenge for a play-off place in the Southern League Central Premier Division.
Peterborough Sports manager Jimmy Dean with star forward Dion Sembie-Ferris. They hope to celebrate more success this season. Photo: James Richardson.Peterborough Sports manager Jimmy Dean with star forward Dion Sembie-Ferris. They hope to celebrate more success this season. Photo: James Richardson.
Peterborough Sports manager Jimmy Dean with star forward Dion Sembie-Ferris. They hope to celebrate more success this season. Photo: James Richardson.

That’s the view of inspirational manager Jimmy Dean as he prepares his side for a tough opening League fixture against Rushall Olympic at the Bee Arena on Saturday (August 14, 3pm).

The city side have enjoyed an outstanding pre-season of eight wins and a draw (a 2-2 game at higher level Kettering last weekend) to enhance further the optimism from their first two competitive campaigns at step three level.

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Sports were top of the league when the 2019-20 season was halted and in mid-table last season, but with several games in hand on the teams above them, when the pandemic forced another early abandonment.

One issue for Dean tomorrow is the likely absence of marquee summer signing Michael Gash because of injury.

“We’re a club on the up,” Dean said. “But we also have to accept we are rookies at step three level in the grand scheme of things.

“We will be targetting the play-offs. We have to given what we’ve seen in the last two seasons, but there are also teams with far bigger budgets than ours so it will be tough.

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“We have momentum though and we seem to be a club that good players want to join so I’m confident we will go well.

“It’s a tough start though. We’ve played Rushall early in each of the last two seasons and they were tight games which ended in draws.

“We have been very good in pre-season, but that means nothing on Saturday.”

Sports are also at home to Barwell in a Premier Division game on Tuesday (August 17, 7.45pm).

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Dan Jarvis and Johnny Herd scored the Sports goals in a creditable draw at Kettering last weekend.

The city side played without centre-forward Gash and talismanic forward Dion Sembie-Ferris.

It’s hoped Sembie-Ferris will return on Saturday.

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