The 'true spirit' of Peterborough Sports saw them over the line in a humdinger against Macclesfield Town
Manager Phil Brown insists the ‘true spirit’ of Peterborough Sports got them over the line in a National League North humdinger at PIMS Park on Tuesday night.
Sports came from 3-1 down to win 4-3 against Macclesfield Town, a result that lifted the city side out of the relegation zone ahead of two long trips to mid-table Chorley on Saturday and second-placed Fylde on Tuesday, February 3.
It was a breathless encounter against a team preparing for a fourth round FA Cup tie against Premier League Brentford. Goals from Max Booth, Luca Miller, Shaquile Coulthirst and Mustapha Carayol won the day for Sports. It was a fourth goal in two games for in-form former Peterborough United striker Coulthirst after his hat-trick heroics at the weekend as Sports won for the second time in four days.
"It was a great game of football and a great advert for National League North football,” Brown told Peterborough Community Radio. “We have been trying to play the right way, but we hit a stumbling block recently. This result and performance showed if you get your mentality right you will always have a chance. We saw the true spirit of Peterborough Sports in the way we came back in the second-half.
“We went 3-1 down even though we weren’t playing badly. We were a little naive at times, but scoring a second goal before half-time was important. We’d have taken a draw at that point against a very good side, but we scored a quality third goal and then another from a set-piece.
"We were hanging on a bit by the skin of our teeth after that, but that experience will do the young lads in the team so much good. When you get over the line in a game like this it feels so good and the key to it was our spirit and camaraderie.
"I have to admit I would have preferred a 1-0, but to see us score seven goals in two games is great for our strikers. It had looked like Shaq couldn’t hit a bard door with a shovel, but remember he had two months out with an injury. The first goal he scored on Saturday was a bit scruffy, but it filled him with confidence and he went on to score a hat-trick.
“We now have to carry this form into two tough away games, but we will approach them with renewed confidence and belief. The players are starting to express themselves.”