Peterborough Sports boss hopes city football fans can come and help a fight for survival as Peterborough United loan a player to their rivals
Peterborough Sports manager Phil Brown insists on looking forward rather than back as his club approach back-to-back National League North home games.
The city side have lost their last three league games, including a 5-2 drubbing at Darlington on Tuesday night, but Sports are still just two points from safety ahead of matches against high-flying Radcliffe at PIMS Park on Saturday (3pm) and then mid-table Bedford Town on Tuesday (November 25, 7,45pm kick off).
Bedford have just signed young Posh midfielder Joe Andrews on loan for a month. Andrews is a regular in the Posh Under 21 side who don’t have another fixture until the New Year.
Brown wants to see an aggressive performance full of pride, passion and running power in an attempt to cause a shock tomorrow. He’s also hoping to see a bigger crowd as there is no clash with a Peterborough United game.
"We were too passive in the first 10-15 minutes at Darlington and went 2-0 down,” Brown told Peterborough Community Radio. “That’s not like us and I can’t accept it. You have to cross the white line with intent.
"It’s not easy coming to a club near the bottom of the table, but we’ve tried to help the situation by bringing in seven new players. The support from the chairman has been priceless.
"You can’t pass your way out of these situations. You have to roll your sleeves up and compete. We are playing a team who are going well and they have potency and goals in them. We will have to bring our A game and if we do that we will give them a game and maybe get something from it.
"We will go into the game thinking positively and I want to see a performance with pride, passion and running power, while retaining the ability to create chances. We will respect how well Radcliffe are doing, but we will roll our sleeves up, get into their faces and get after them to upset their rhythm.
"We’ve made a lot of changes to our team in recent matches, but we need consistency of selection now and that will come from the consistency of individual performances.
"We've had some good moments on our own pitch and we need to recreate what we delivered against Kidderminster for example.
"it would be great to get 200-300 more fans in. The ones who do follow us have been absolutely brilliant and we really appreciate them, but the more the merrier as far as we are concerned. Let’s generate a great atmosphere and have passion on the terraces to help us deliver passion on the pitch.
"These two home games could help us to get our season up and running.”
Elsewhere there are important Southern Premier Division Central home games for Spalding United and Stamford AFC. Spalding, who are a second, have a tough match against fourth-placed Needham Market, while rock-bottom Stamford host third from bottom AFC Sudbury. The Daniels are 13 points from safety after winning just one of 16 matches. They are also at home on Tuesday to Kettering Town when Spalding entertain Bury Town.
SATURDAY FIXTURES
National League North: Peterborough Sports v Radcliffe.
Southern Premier Division Central: Spalding United v Needham Market, Stamford AFC v Sudbury.
Northern Premier Midlands Division: Boldmere St Michaels v Bourne Town.
United Counties Premier Division North: Sherwood Colliery v Blackstones; Wisbech Town v Hucknall Town.
United Counties Premier Division South: Aylestone Park v March Town; Sileby Rangers v Yaxley.
Thurlow Nunn Division One North: FC Clacton v Whittlesey Athletic; FC Peterborough v Dussindale & Hellesdon; Haverhill Borough v FC Parson Drove; Holbeach United v Long Melford.
Lincs Senior Trophy: Louth v Deeping Rangers.