REPORT: BLACKPOOL 3, PETERBOROUGH UNITED 1: Late anguish for Peterborough United as awayday misery continues

Two goals in the final five minutes condemned Peterborough United to an 11th defeat in 12 Championship away games at Blackpool today (December 18).
Siriki Dembele of Peterborough United rounds Daniel Grimshaw of Blackpool to score the opening goal of the game. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.Siriki Dembele of Peterborough United rounds Daniel Grimshaw of Blackpool to score the opening goal of the game. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.
Siriki Dembele of Peterborough United rounds Daniel Grimshaw of Blackpool to score the opening goal of the game. Photo: Joe Dent/theposh.com.

Posh opened the scoring through Siriki Dembele in the 11th minute before the hosts deservedly levelled through Keshi Anderson in the 27th minute.

Posh dominated the ball for much of the second-half without creating a single clearcut opportunity, but a cruel deflection helped Blackpool take the lead in the 86th minute and Darren Ferguson’s side were then caught trying to play out from the back as injury time started and conceded a third goal.

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Possession-wise Posh were unfortunate losers and Blackpool certainly didn’t do enough to warrant a two-goal margin of victory, but failing to create when on top and crumbling when put under pressure is a theme of this season on the road.

There was really only one selection decision to make for Ferguson who went for Jonson Clarke-Harris to lead the attack rather than Sammie Szmodics.

Summer signings Kwame Poku and Joel Randall were included on the bench with Joe Ward returning to the squad for the first time in three matches. Under 23s captain Kyle Barker was also on the bench ahead of on-loan midfielder Conor Coventry, who was caught by a positive Covid test.

Posh obviously stuck with the midfield diamond and they started as they’d left off against Millwall a week earlier, popping the ball about and patiently probing until a superb through ball from Josh Knight found Dembele galloping clear. The team wizard took the ball around home ‘keeper Dan Grimshaw before finishing expertly from a tight angle.

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A perfect start then - and only the second time Posh had led in an away match all season - against a team without a win in seven matches and without a goal in three games, but Pool responded well to falling behind to put Posh under severe pressure.

They looked strong out wide with Keshi Anderson and Everton loanee Josh Bowler prominent, while Gary Madine was a strong presence at centre forward.

Madine headed a corner wide on 16 minutes and Posh ‘keeper Dai Cornell tipped a Bowler shot over the bar after the Blackpool star had breezed past Harrison Burrows and Joe Tomlinson.

Anderson was denied a 26th minute equaliser after nipping in between Nathan Thompson and Knight by Cornell’s parried save, but the reprieve was only temporary.

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The hosts kept the ball alive, Bowler beat Tomlinson on the outside and his low cross was converted by Anderson from close range.

It was a deserved equaliser although Posh at least managed to take the sting out of the game up until the interval. Unfortunately they offered little going forward themselves with a Jack Taylor snapshot from 20 yards drifting well wide and a Tomlinson free kick just escaping Clarke-Harris and Knight.

Posh played well after the break, up to a point. They hogged the ball on a bobbly surface, but a decent final pass or cross eluded them with Clarke-Harris a disappointingly statuesque figure when substitute Poku sent over a terrific centre from the left wing 13 minutes from time.

Taylor forced the first Posh corner on the hour mark with a deflected strike, but set pieces proved to be no threat against physically superior opposition. Thompson did reach one cross, but his header sailed well off target.

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Blackpool saw less of the ball, but still created the better opportunities. Madine sent a free header from a corner straight at Cornell and substitute Sonny Carey shot badly over as Posh were again exposed down the right hand side of their defence.

Tellingly the home side changed both forwards and they both scored. Poku was the only Posh replacement employed despite the lack of punch up top.

There was a huge slice of fortune in the goal that effectively won the game for Pool. A forward pass was going nowhere in particular until a big nick off Poku sent the ball into Anderson’s path inside the area. No-one had tracked the run and Anderson stayed cool to set up Carey for a comfortable finish four minutes from time.

No-one expected a Posh fightback whereas a collapse was most predictable. Tomlinson and Burrows were caught on the edge of their own area, Bowler fed the ball inside and although Cornell did well to save the initial shot substitute Jerry Yates was on hand to claim his customary goal against Posh from close range.

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Posh at least delivered their second effort on target in the 95th minute when Taylor forced an excellent save from Grimshaw with a close range header. Sadly it arrived 84 minutes after the only other on target effort - a severe case of too little, too late.

Posh: Dai Cornell, Joe Tomlinson, Ronnie Edwards, Josh Knight, Nathan Thompson, Oliver Norburn, Jorge Grant (sub Kwame Poku, 76 mins), Harrison Burrows, Jack Taylor, Siriki Dembele, Jonson Clarke-Harris.

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Frankie Kent, Joe Ward, Joel Randall, Kyle Barker, Sammie Szmodics.

Blackpool: Dan Grimshaw, Jordan Gabriel, Marvin Ekpiteta, James Husband, Reece James, Ryan Wintle (sub Callum Connolly, 90 mins), Kenny Dougall, Josh Bowler, Keshi Anderson, Shayne Lavery (sub Sonny Carey, 73 mins), Gary Madine (sub Jerry Yates, 73 mins).

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Unused subs: Stuart Moore, Dujon Sterling, Daniel Gretarsson, Owen Dale.

Goals: Posh - Dembele (11 mins).

Blackpool - Anderson (27 mins), Carey (86 mins), Yates (90 + 1 min).

Referee: David Webb 8.

Attendance: 9,735 (310 Posh, approx).