Peterborough United expecting a tough phyiscal challenge at Peterborough Sports in cup final, plus United Counties League results and fixtures

Joe Taylor (left) could play for Posh Under 21s against Peterborough Sports. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com

Lewis Darlington and Hameed Ishola scored for Posh under 21s as they lost a pre-season friendly 3-2 at Spalding United on Friday. Spalding play two levels below Sports.

A similar Posh team is expected to start against Sports, although first-team squad member Joe Taylor could also play.

"I want to see us be competitive against a good Peterborough Sports side, who are really strong at their level,” Etherington said. “We competed well against a strong National League side in Scunthorpe United last month, but not so much on Friday, so we just want a bit more consistency in our displays and continue our progression in pre-season with a complete performance.

“It will be a very similar squad to the one we took to Spalding, with additions of some of the players that travelled with the first team on Saturday. Quite a few of the players on Friday night learnt a lot physically from the game, and I would imagine it will be the same against Peterborough Sports, so the players are going to have stand-up and show a tougher side of themselves.”

Sports won 4-1 at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday in their final pre-season friendly with goals from Dion Sembie Ferris, Connor Kennedy, Michael Gash & Josh McCammon. The city side side start their National League North campaign at home to Buxton on Saturday (August 6).

Sports qualified for the Maunsell Cup Final by winning the Northants Senior Cup last season. The winners of that competition take on either Posh or Northampton Town in alternative season for the Maunsell Cup.

Local UCL Results and fixtures

Results

Premier Division North: Pinchbeck United 0, Loughborough Students 2; Sherwood Colliery 2, Deeping Rangers 1 (Walker); Wisbech Town 1 (Mettam), AFC Mansfield 0.

Premier Division South: Bugbrooke St Michael 0, March Town 4 (Friend 2, Emmington, Lemmon).

Division One: Bourne 3 (Brown, Cox, Edmondson), Clipstone 1; Dunkirk 3, Blackstones 4 (Masnita 2, Duffy-Weekes, Trabelsi).

Fixtures

Tuesday, August 2

Premier Division North: Deeping Rangers v Boston Town.

Premier Division South: March Town v Eynesbury Rovers.

Wednesday, August 3

Premier Division North: Pinchbeck United v Wisbech Town.