Peterborough United manager frustrated and angered by late collapse in FA Cup tie

Posh manager Steve Evans displays frustration during the FA Cup tie with Bradford City. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Posh were 2-0 up and cruising after a dominant display against Bradford City at the ABAX Stadium, but conceded two goals in the final six minutes to set up a replay at Valley Parade, probably on Tuesday, December 11.

The visitors struck with a brilliant long-range strike from centre-back Kelvin Mellor and then with a 20-yard shot from substitute Luca Colville that took a deflection off Posh centre-back Rhys Bennett before beating goalkeeper Aaron Chapman.

Posh deservedly led 2-0 at the break through goals from Ivan Toney and Siriki Dembele.

Matt Godden of Peterborough United puts Anthony O'Connor of Bradford City under pressure. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Evans’ press conference with the local media lasted just two questions - he took exception to the tone of the second one - but he conducted a three-minute interview with the club media team.

“The result is hard to take,” Evans moaned. “You have to give Bradford some credit for coming back from the dead. They’ve scored the goal of the season to get back in it and then they get a lucky defelection. They haven’t created a single chance apart from those. Marcus Maddison should do better for both of their goals, but we knew we would come under pressure for the final five or six minutes and we didn’t cope.

“We didn’t get any luck at all. We didn’t get any decisions at all, particularly the one late on when Marcus Maddison is clean through on goal and gets pulled back by an assistant referee who thinks he has seen a foul.

“They will be seen as excuses though and quite rightly so.

Ivan Toney of Peterborough United scores his sides opening goal of the game. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

“We asked the players to show the same intensity we had in the first half in the second half and we didn’t do it. We still had all the chances and all the good possession, but we made some poor decisions. We wanted to take too many touches of the ball in the penalty area.

“We put some outstanding passing movements together today. We played some great stuff in the first half and were so dominant we should have won the game easily.

“But we are still in the competition. We will take the replay in 10 days time and we will take the hammering we will doubtless get after this game.”

Posh travel to the Checkatrade Trophy to face Exeter in a last 32 tie on Tuesday (Decemeber 4) before hosting Oxford United in League One on Saturday (December 8).

The third round draw for the FA Cup takes place on Monday, live on BBC television.