PREVIEW: Unhappy Peterborough Sports boss reads the riot act to his players

Sports slipped back to the bottom of Division One South of the Evo Stik League after a 3-0 defeat at runaway leaders Basford United last weekend.

Basford haven’t lost a game all season, but Dean was still alarmed by what he saw.

“The attitude of the players wasn’t good enough,” Dean blasted. “Too many accepted we would lose before kick off and I won’t have that. We pushed Basford all the way at home earlier in the season and would have picked up a point, but for missing a penalty.

“I’ve found out a lot about my players this season. They enjoyed winning easily every week in the United Counties League, but this is a much tougher league and I have too many players who are weak. Too many of them are too soft.

“We need to wake up quickly. I don’t think they realise how serious our predicament is. We have the ability to stay up, but if I was on the outside looking in I would make us favourites to go down.

“We are bottom of the league, we have played more games than most of our rivals and 10 of our last 15 matches are against teams in the top half of the table.

“We beat Stamford earlier this month and we need to rediscover that form quickly. I am not happy. The players have not been giving the club enough. I reckon we need 40/41 points to stay up so that’s six more wins.”

Sports host in-form mid-table outfit Belper at PSL tomorrow (January 27, 3pm) and the club are offering reduced admission to anyone who comes to the game having first been to Posh’s FA Cup tie against Leicester. It’s a fiver with production of a Posh match ticket.

“We lost 1-0 at Belper earlier in the season to a penalty after winning the shot count about 32-3,” Dean stated. “But they have won their last three games and beat Corby last weekend so they’re in form.

“We can win it though providing our attitude is spot on.”

Only one team is relegated this season.

It’s Stamford AFC’s turn to end the season-long unbeaten run of Basford at the Zeeco Stadium tomorrow. Spalding United host Kidsgrove Athletic.

FIXTURES

Saturday, January 27

EVO-STIK LEAGUE

Division One South: Peterborough Sports v Belper Town, Spalding Utd v Kidsgrove Athletic, Stamford v Basford Utd.