Peterborough Sports boss insists he enjoyed watching his side play even though they lost again
Peterborough Sports boss Phil Brown insists he enjoyed watching his team at Curzon Ashton on Saturday, even though they lost their National League North fixture 1-0.
A first-half goal from a corner settled an even contest and the result left Sports bottom of the table ahead of the proverbial six-pointer at next-to-bottom Southport on Tuesday (October 28). This game has added spice as it it was originally abandoned last month because of a waterlogged pitch midway through the second-half with Southport leading 2-1.
Brown was pleased with much of what he saw in Greater Manchester yesterday, but admitted there was still naivety as well as a lack of belief at times.
"I enjoyed watching us,” Brown told Peterborough Community Radio. “We were excellent at times against a team who were very resilient and who had that bit more belief than us. I would argue we still played quite well, but of course we got nothing from the game. The goal knocked the stuffing out of us a bit and that will happen because of the position we are in.
"Belief will come from winning games. Where we are in the table is affecting us and currently we are suffering, but if the team keep grasping what I consider are my basics of winning second balls we will be okay. If you win second balls at any level you stop the other side having possession and in our team we have players who can play and cause problems.
"We were a bit naive at times. I don’t like the basketball approach where both teams take turns to attack. The game should never have finished 1-0 as it could easily have been 3-3 or 4-3 to someone.
"We created a couple of decent half chances in the second-half after huffing and puffing a bit in the first-half. Their goalie made 6 or 7 saves, but we didn’t test him enough.”
Brown was also encouraged by a decent 30-35 minutes off the bench for former Posh striker Shaquile Coulthirst as he returns from a long-term injury. He could feature more heavily at Southport.
"Shaq has the ability to hurt teams at this level,” Brown added. “We have strength in depth in forward areas, but we are trying to remedy a shortage of defenders. Ideally I would like an experienced centre-back and we are trying at clubs at the highest level, but they are more interested in sending 16-17 year-old boys out who would have to learn on the job and that’s not what I'm after just now.”