Ex-Peterborough Sports players could lead the Cambridge United challenge at Peterborough United, plus the big derby's fascinating match-ups
Two ex-Peterborough Sports players could be part of a Cambridge United team thirsting for revenge at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday.
Striker Brandon Njoku scored one goal in for the city side in National League North games last season, but impressed the club with his all-action performances. The 19 year-old has started three of the last four Cambridge United games, but might lose his place on Saturday if more senior forwards Shane Lavery or Ryan Loft are fit. Njoku has scored one League One goal for his club, in the thrilling comeback from 4-0 down to 4-4 against Blackpool at the Abbey Stadium.
Remarkably Lavery is still ‘The U’s’ top scorer in League One games even though he hasn’t played since August because of a hamstring injury. He has two goals. Loft has started just twice since his summer move from Port Vale.
Tomorrow’s visitors also have power forward Dan Nlundulu in their squad. He terrorised Posh for half a game on the first day of the 2022-23 season when on loan from Southampton at Cheltenham. A subsequent move to Bolton Wanderers didn’t work out as he only started 6 EFL games in 18 months and scored once, hence a summer move to Cambridge.
Posh have five players who have scored more than the Cambridge top scorer, including three-goal centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez. The others are Kwame Poku (7), Joel Randall (4), Malik Mothersille (4) and Ricky-Jade Jones (4).
It’s an interesting match-up tomorrow between statistically the worst defence in League One and the second-worst attack. Posh have conceded the most goals in the division (26) and Cambridge have the joint-second worst scoring record alongside Leyton Orient (11) and behind Stevenage (10). Orient scored twice against Posh earlier this season.
Posh can’t call on on-loan Sheffield United right-back Sam Curtis as he is suspended. Centre-back Oscar Wallin is expected to return to the starting line-up after resting from the two recent cup ties. He will most likely partner Emmanuel Fernandez with George Nevett dropping to the substitutes’ bench.
It should also be a fascinating battle at the other end as League One’s second-most potent attack takes on a defence that hasn’t conceded a goal in their last five competitive outings, three of them in League One. Posh have scored 25 goals, second only to Wycombe Wanderers (31) who stormed to the top of the division with a thumping 5-0 success at Stockport County on Tuesday.
The other former Sports loanee at Cambridge is right-back Liam Bennett who was outstanding at PIMS Park in the 2021-22 season. He has been an ever-present in the run of League One clean sheets and will be keen to erase the memory of the own goal and the chasing he received from Ephron Mason-Clark in the 5-0 drubbing in this fixture last season.
Former Posh player Danny Andrew, a terrific taker of set pieces, is suspended tomorrow and is expected to be replaced by James Gibbons. The regular central defenders are veteran Michael Morrison, strong yellow-card challenge ended Jeando Fuchs’ season at the Abbey Stadium last Ferbruary, and ex-Spurs centre-back Jubril Okedina.
Posh boss Darren Ferguson will choose between Mothersille and in-form Abraham Odoh for the right to go up against Bennett. Odoh has scored three goals in his last two Posh appearances.