Practice makes perfect for Peterborough United who claimed a winning goal from a corner
A set-piece goal, would you believe, delivered victory for Peterborough United in their latest pre-season friendly at York City on Tuesday night.
Corners have not exactly been a rich source of goals for Posh in recent seasons, but perhaps the header converted by James Dornelly 11 minutes from time is a sign of better things to come. It’s certainly a stated aim of Posh for the coming season and they’ve even hired a specialist coach to make it happen. This particular corner was taken short, but the ball was whipped in quickly and accurately by substitute Ben Woods for Dornelly to score.
An inventive corner routine had created a chance for replacement Chris Conn-Clarke 10 minutes earlier, but his shot was blocked.
And the ultimate 2-1 win was no more than Posh deserved after a strong finish to the game at the LNER Community Stadium. Harry Leonard was probably pleased to see his right-back score as the centre forward missed two great second-half chances to claim a goal himself. He first headed wide when well-placed in the penalty area and then misplaced an attempted dink finish after a fine pass from Brandon Khela had sent him through on goal.
Leonard also hit the crossbar from a Harley Mills cross just before the winning goal. Khela though he had converted the rebound, but was denied his second goal of the night by a fine save.
Khela had fired Posh in front in the 24th minute after a slow start to the contest from both sides. It was a tidy finish from the midfielder after a swift counter-attack.
York equalised six minutes into the second-half when Alex Newby punished a collective decision to give him space and time to shoot at goal from the edge of the penalty area, although it was a deflection that took it past Alex Bass in the Posh goal.
More home goals never looked likely, although ace marksman Ollie Pearce stabbed wide from close range before Posh substitute Evan Weir made a great defensive clearance six minutes from time.
An impressive 304 Posh fans made the trip and saw a third glimpse of trialist Wanya Marçal, a winger recently released by Leicester City.
Posh: Bass, Dornelly, Mills, Okagbue. Mendonca (sub, Marçal 60 mins), Johnston (sub Woods, 60 mins), Khela, Jones (sub Weir, 60 mins), Edwards (sub Abbey, 78 mins), Shofwoke (sub Conn-Clarke, 60 mins), Leonard.