Peterborough Sports have to fight their way out of a rut and beating second-placed Coalville at the Bee Arena is a good way to start

The city side were beaten 2-1 at bottom club Lowestoft last weekend to make it just one Southern League Premier Division Central win in 2022.

What had looked like a stroll into the end-of-the-season play-offs has now become a dogfight for Sports who tackle two of the top three in their next three matches.

Sports host second-placed Coalville - a side that smashed them 6-2 earlier this season at the Bee Arena - on Saturday (February 12, 3pm) and a trip to champions-elect Banbury is also on the horizon.

Dean’s men are at least five points clear of the teams outside the play-off places, but that gap could disappear quickly unless there’s an improvement in form.

“We are in a rut and we have to get out of it quickly,” Dean said. “I was angry on Saturday as we were playing the team at the bottom who were in worse form than us. It was a long way to go for what we produced.

“We scored in the first minute and looked electric for the first 15 minutes, but once we conceded we capitulated and that’s happened too often recently. In the end Lowestoft deserved their win.

“We are not reacting well to adversity. When things go wrong we become tentative and negative which has to be a lack of confidence and we have to snap out of it. We have some big players who need to do better and I’ve spoken to them about it.

“I’ve also had a long hard look at myself to see what I can do better. It’s down to all of us to sort it out and quickly because if we don’t we can forget the play-offs. The 6-2 defeat at Coalville is an incentive for us on Saturday, but it’s not the main one. We just need to win. We need to see a game out.”

Sports winger Josh Moreman is out for some time because of injury and Dean described that news as a ‘massive blow.’

Josh McCammon fired Sports in front at Lowestoft, but the hosts equalised direct from a corner and won the game in first-half injury time. Mark Jones missed a last-minute sitter for Sport.

SATURDAY FIXTURES

(February 12)

Southern League Premier Division Central - Peterborough Sports v Coalville.

Northern Premier Midlands Division - Spalding v Carlton, Sporting Khalsa v Wisbech, Sutton Coldfield v Stamford.

United Counties Premier Division - Boston Town v Pinchbeck, Deeping Rangers v Eastwood, Holbeach v Heanor.

United Counties Division One - Blackstones v Lutterworth Ath, West Bridgford v Bourne.

Thurlow Nunn Division One - Great Yarmouth v Peterborough North End.