Peterborough United remain pointless and goalless at the Weston Homes Stadium after a poor performance
Peterborough United remain goalless and pointless at the Weston Homes Stadium after a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Wrexham on Saturday.
Posh started the game okay, but looked a well-beaten side well before the end. Wrexham were organised, big and strong, and, sadly, that was enough to ease to a third win in four unbeaten games. Visiting goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo didn’t make a save in the entire game. Dealing with poor crosses filled his 90 minutes.
Posh ‘keeper Jed Steer was also largely redundant in a poor game, but two goals in seven first-half minutes – a similar tale to the first home defeat at the hands of Huddersfield – ultimately secured a comfortable win. The first was scored by returning Posh hero Jack Marriott with the help of a big deflection and the second a close range header from Max Cleworth from a poorly defended corner.
Posh kept pressing, but ran out of ideas well before the final whistle as a Wrexham side well versed in the art of game management cruised home. They came closest to scoring in the second-half even with limited possession.
Both teams reflected good recent form by selecting unchanged sides which meant Marriott lined up in an opposition side at London Road for the first time. Wrexham also named three forward substitutes having ended their search for another big man up top by signing Mo Faal from West Brom the day before. The deadline day Posh recruits, Jadel Katongo and Bradley Ihionvien, were signed too late to play.
Posh were sloppy in possession for the opening couple of minutes, but soon settled down to dominate the ball. The speed out wide troubled the visitors, although chances didn’t arrive too often. Abraham Odoh created the only one in the 17th minute with a dash down the left wing which left two Wrexham defenders floundering in his wake. The cut-back looked okay, but Malik Mothersille couldn’t convert it at the near post.
Still Posh were comfortable until conceding a soft free kick on 33 minutes. The danger didn’t arrive straight away, but Wrexham managed to keep the ball alive in the Posh half and one fine pass saw Marriott through on goal although his finish needed a deflection off Oscar Wallin to find the back of the net.
The goal changed the flow of the game and Wrexham now looked the most dangerous team. Set-pieces were always likely to be a problem for Posh and so it proved six minutes before the break. It two attempts from corners with Max Cleworth nodding home from close range when under very little pressure.
It was almost 3-0 when Elliot Lee smashed a 30 yard free kick against the crossbar before Joel Randall missed a fine chance for Posh on the strike of half-time. He shot badly wide from 18 yards after good work from Mothersille.
Randall was replaced by Chris Conn-Clarke at the break and he was busy without managing to unlock a rugged backline. He almost pulled a goal back with a terrific curling effort from just inside the penalty area, but Posh fizzled out as an attacking force once Emmanuel Fernandez had stretched to reach a Conn-Clark free kick without managing keep the ball down. Posh went sideways and backwards without creating the space in which to carve out scoring opportunities.
Indeed the longer the game wore on Wrexham looked the more likely to score. Substitute Paul Mullin volleyed badly wide after a lung-busting run and cross from Ryan Barnett and Lee and Fletcher also had decent half-chances.
Posh get a fortnight off from League One now which Ferguson will doubtless use to good effect. He needs to find a more robust way of defending and a way to up the passing tempo, based on the evidence of this game.
Posh: Jed Steer, Sam Curtis (sub George Nevett, 78 mins), Jack Sparkes (sub Cian Hayes, 67 mins), Emmanuel Fernandez, Oscar Wallin, Archie Collins, Hector Kyprianou. Joel Randall (sub Chris Conn-Clarke, 46 mins), Kwame Poku, Malik Mothersille (sub Ricky-Jade Jones, 67 mins), Abraham Odoh.
Unused subs: Nicholas Bilokapic, Donay O’Brien-Brady, James Dornelly.
Wrexham: Arthur Okonkwo, Max Cleworth, Eoghan O’Connell, Tom O’Connor, Ryan Barnett (sub Seb Reven, 86 mins), George Dobson, Elliott Lee, Andy Cannon (sub Ollie Rathbone, 62 mins), James McLean, Jack Marriott (sub Paul Mullin, 69 mins), Ollie Palmer (sub Steve Fletcher, 69 mins).
Unused subs: Callum Burton, Mo Faal, Dan Scarr.
GOALS: Wrexham – Marriott (28 mins), Cleworth (39 mins).
CAUTIONS: Posh – Sparkes (foul).
Wrexham – Palmer (foul), Mullin (foul).
REFEREE: Carl Brook 6
ATTENDANCE: 12,104.