Peterborough Sports fall to back-to-back defeats after disappointing display against Brackley

Joint-boss Michael Gash had called on his side to make PIMS Park a place for opponents to fear ahead of the game, but the visitor s- who came into the match with just one win in their last five matches - were not made to work particularly hard for their 2-0 victory.

The defeat Sports suffered means that Gash’s men have followed up two consecutive victories with back-to-back defeats without scoring against Chester and Brackley. They have now slipped down to 19th place with seven points from seven games, but have played a game fewer than most of the teams around them.

Sports fell to defeat having failed to muster a meaningful effort on goal all match. Both sides defended well in an even first half devoid of any goalmouth action. As the half wore on, the visitors started to dominate the possession, but Sports threatened to cause problems on the break.

Yet, just as the clock ticked over to 45 minutes, Sports themselves found fell victim to a dangerous counter attack as they looked to create a chance from their own throw in the final third.

As the ball broke down, Brackley sprang a quick break, leaving Connor Hall space to bear down on goal. Although Crook came out to block the initial effort, the ball fell right back to Hall for a simple tap-in right on the stroke of half time.

After conceding at the worst possible time, Sports looked motivated by that disappointment and started the second half brightly, but a Dion Sembie-Ferris shot, which was saved from an acute angle, was the best they could muster from the early pressure.

Sports then found themselves with even more work to do after some intricate passing from Brackley on the edge of the box saw Morgan Roberts pick up the ball from around 25 yards out, work himself a shooting chance and bury the ball into Crook’s bottom left corner.

Things nearly get worse on 71 minutes as Hall was played into a pocket of space between centre halves Ashton Fox and Matty Fryatt. Out came Crook, but he brought down tho goalscorer to concede a penalty as the striker looked to shoot.

The Sports ‘keeper did, however, bounce straight back up to redeem himself by saving Danny Newton’s spot-kick down low to his right.

Brackley spurned another great chance to make it three with 10 minutes go go after Hall robbed MJ Kamson-Kamara at the back. He drove into the box to face down Crook one-on-one and just as the travelling faithful prepared to celebrate, his effort thumped into the advertising hoardings to the right of the post.

Moments such as those can often be a turning point in matches, but Sports continued to struggle to muster anything of note. A curling Michael Gyasi effort from just inside the box after a powerful run, which went wide, was the best Sports could muster before the final whistle.

Sports take a break from the league next Saturday as they travel to face National League South strugglers Enfield Town in the FA Cup second qualifying round.

Enfield were beaten 4-1 at home by last season’s giantkillers Maidstone on Saturday and they have won one and lost seven of their opening eight league games following promotion via the play-offs last season.

Sports: Peter Crook, Eliot Putman (sub Hugh Alban Jones 70 mins), Ryan Fryatt, Ashton Fox, MJ Kamson-Kamara, Kaine Felix Will Van Lier, Oison Gallagher, Dan Jarvis (sub Jack Goodman 86 mins), Michael Gyasi, Dion Sembie Ferris (sub Mark Jones 66 mins)

Not used: Matt Tootle, Dan Lawlor