PETERBOROUGH SPORTS 2-0 BEDWORTH UNITED: MATCH REPORT & IMAGES...

Greenbacks Beaten By Gow-Jones Index…

Peterborough Sports 2-0 Bedworth United

This untidy contest was won by the league’s newcomers with two goals in the final few moments, condemning Bedworth to a disheartening defeat. True, home ‘keeper Aaron Butcher saved well from United replacement Dom Perkins’ header near the end of the game, albeit before Peterborough struck twice but the ‘keeper of the Turbines had rarely been called upon with any real urgency prior to that. In comparison, visiting ‘keeper James Martin made three decent saves, two in the opening period and one in between the two goals. Yet despite all the physicality, the scrappiness, the energy expounded, the bouts of crude head-tennis, the tendency to play long balls and the periods of inaccurate passing, there were moments of pure tedium to endure too…

BLYTHE & WEBB PREPARE TO TOSS...

Really then, this was not a good match to watch and although the last five minutes were worthy for the goals, a Martin save and a couple of desperate but vain last gasp attacks by the struggling Greenbacks, one simply could not seem to forget what should have been entirely forgettable. In truth, the Turbines were without eight first-teamers, according to their manager Jimmy Dean and so to win this encounter was a real triumph for Sports, of that there can be no doubt. The victory means seven points from a possible nine for Peterborough in league play and no goals conceded. A late equaliser in the FA Cup at Eynesbury last Saturday had been followed by two late goals to win the replay on Tuesday and typically the ‘late goals syndrome’ would return to haunt the Bedworth visitors too during this sun-drenched game. 

THE BENCH OF TURBINES...

THE BED'TH GREENBACKS...

Both teams relied upon strong defenders to bolster their unwillingness to give much away, so that home central defenders Liam Marshall and Josh Sanders rose to the challenge well and ex-Coalville standout Jamie McAteer was a powerhouse aerially for Bedworth. Midfield became a mire of a battle though until crucially home schemer Dan Lawlor finally began to affect the match near the end. Little was seen of the rapid Kai Williams in the United attack until he left the field immediately following the half-time break, although in fairness his partner Levi Rowley had worked courageously and tirelessly but with limp support, although Elliot Parrott was able to make some eager supporting runs for Bedworth on occasions. An early McAteer offensive header looped wide, Williams was unable to get a near post touch to a low right-wing centre by the rampaging Rowley, before Josh Moreman, a player who really needed more service out on the left for Sports, for each time he became active he caused United’s Ryan Smith some anguish, rolled a low delivery across the guests’ penalty-box. 

MARTIN SHOWS HOW TO BALANCE ONE-FOOTED UPON A FOOTBALL...

MOREMAN TAKES ON SMITH...

Rowley was involved in an altercation I think with home left-back David Cobb, who was steady and reliable for the hosts, but surely I didn’t really see the flick of a fist from the Greenback? Surely not… No caution resulted for either player anyway. Martin got an important touch to a low left-side cross-shot by the elusive Moreman, enough to take the ball away from the lurking Avelino Viera, Marshall nodded a Lawlor corner wide, Lawlor then received a pass from skipper Lewis Webb but sliced an awful shot from distance way off target and after the tenacious Rogan McGeorge escaped a booking for a rough and late challenge, a good move by the Turbines ended with Viera teeing up Moreman for a low right-foot shot which Martin plunged down to save near his right upright.

THE WATCHERS, THE JUMPER & THE LEANERS...

JAMIE McATEER, WHO IGNORED ME ALL AFTERNOON...
(ONLY JOKIN' MATE...)

WAS AN ARM THROWN?

McGeorge and Webb looked similar, like a pair of characters in a fantasy movie, whose remit was to collect money from folks in debt but Bedworth finally came alive when McAteer back-headed a cross towards Reece Blackmore, whose 20 yard volley rose like a field-goal attempt by the Green Bay Packers’ kicker. When Blackmore had a low shot blocked by Marshall, the hosts broke clear, only for a fine McAteer tackle to prevent the threatening Moreman from getting too close to the United goal. Visiting left-back Luke Rowe, he of the long throw, who would subsequently leave the field injured moments after Williams’ exit, clipped a 22 yard free-kick from the inside-right channel which dropped just over the crossbar, before a pair of daft incidents followed.

THE PLAYERS ARE ENTERTAINED BY THE REFEREE WHO PERFORMS A RIVER DANCE...

SURELY THAT'S NOT A LINE-OUT?

NO PENALTY FOR ROWLEY...

First Tom Sharpe of Bedworth jumped and blocked a booted ball by Sports with a loudly slapping palm and conceded, er, a throw-in, then he was involved again, as Moreman nudged him from behind to disable his movement to clear the ball, which only the smirking Moreman’s mates on the touchline saw. Oh, and I saw it too. Finally Rowley chased the ball towards the right byeline as the first-half yawned to a close and fell in ungainly fashion as Butcher dived downwards to gather possession but the striker’s fall was deemed a dive and the Greenback forward was cautioned for his artistic inability.

DEATH BY BOOT.
NO CAUTION FOR EASON...

The interval arrived and I felt pleased that at least it hadn’t rained, for the pleasant weather was decent to watch football in, although the entertainment at Parkway had been rather limited thus far. Strangely, within seconds of the restart, Bedworth skipper Richard Blythe’s long kick forward for Williams to chase led to the forward pulling up hurt. The experienced and beefy Iyseden Christie replaced Williams but almost immediately Rowe too went down in pain as he attempted to prevent a low centre by Viera from the right reaching central striker Stuart Eason in the middle. The cross was dealt with by Bedworth but Dom Perkins was forced to replace Rowe at left-back.

CHRISTIE IS 15, BUT LOOKS OLDER...

WEBB HAS SCYTHED SHARPE...

...& HAS A CLOSE LOOK AT A SMALL PIECE OF YELLOW CARD...

An over-shoulder effort at the home goal by Parrott, who flew spectacularly onto Christie’s head-on like he was performing a dismount from the parallel bars was saved easily by Butcher, before Turbine McGeorge ploughed meanly into Sharpe and received a just caution. The half meandered on with seemingly no goal imminent at all, although McAteer was wrong-footed and unable to move onto a dropping Blythe corner for United and during one offensive sortie by Sports, Viera’s looping header dropped onto the roof of Martin’s net. Substitutions happened, interfering with all the stoppages for fouls and injuries, which allowed players to take on welcome drinks, so that Viera and the industrious Eason left the game for Peterborough to be replaced by Cameron Gow and Mark Jones, who would subsequently win the points for their team, whilst Kyle Cartwright replaced the ailing Sharpe for the Greenbacks too. The disorderly game erred on until a corner on the right for the visitors kick-started a frantic and exciting last five minutes. 

A WATCHFUL ROWLEY...

BUTCHER PUTS BEEF INTO HIS CLEARANCE...

Parrott recycled the ball following a long throw from the United right and Smith crossed into the 6 yard box where Perkins rose above Gow to power a header goalwards but Butcher leapt smartly to turn the effort over his crossbar with a meaty hand. And then Lawlor took the game into his own capable hands, first delivering a dangerous free-kick to assist Jones’ opening goal on 87 minutes and then after Blackmore’s header from Parrott’s delivery was collected by Butcher and Lawlor had engineered a chance for Moreman, the Sports number 8 made all the running to allow the latest home substitute Jamie Graham to assist Gow and settle the match in favour of the Turbines.

PERKINS CAN'T BELIEVE THAT BUTCHER HAS SAVED HIS HEADER...

A left-flank free-kick by Lawlor saw Jones rise to beat Cartwright in the air, as well as Martin, who had lunged off his goal-line to attempt a punch and the glanced header seared into the right side of the net. Lawlor then cleverly fed Moreman with a switched pass from right to left but instead of adhering to calls suggesting that he should take the ball into a corner and waste moments, Moreman took on Smith and fired a low angled drive at the near post instead which was well parried by Martin. 

1-0...

THE TURBINES SEEM PLEASED...

JONES, RIGHT, IS THE SCORER...

YOU CAN SEE WEBB'S WORLD WIDE GRIN...

Lawlor then broke up a Greenback attack in midfield and with sparse cover, for McAteer had been pushed forward into a forward role, Bedworth were caught on a really effective Turbine break. Lawler took the ball out to the left flank and exchanged a pass with Jones, before slipping a pass towards Graham in the centre and the replacement calmly fed the ball right for Gow to get beyond Perkins and fire in a low drive which beat Martin at his near post, who had possibly anticipated a shot aimed across him. 2-0, game decided and shrieks of acclaim rang out from the home dugout…  

BUTCHER CLUTCHES BLACKMORE'S LATE HEADER...

GOW WHEELS ROUND...

...& GETS MOBBED...

...BECAUSE HIS FINISH HAS SEALED THE POINTS FOR PETERBOROUGH...

GOW THEN HAS AN EAR PIERCED BY A TEAM-MATE'S TEETH...

...& THAT HURT BY THE LOOKS OF IT...

Cobb and Dan Buccierro had been lively in the full-back positions for the hosts but Marshall and Sanders had remained steadfast until the end in centre-defence and the tenacity of McGeorge and Webb in midfield had allowed Lawlor to be creative in those closing moments for his team. Bedworth had certainly been resolute in defence but although Mark Albrighton and McAteer had performed with laudable gusto for the visitors in defence, Blackmore and Blythe in midfield had been unable to serve forwards Rowley and Williams as regularly or as clinically as they would surely have hoped.

Three important points for the Turbines, who powered to a strong finish during this messy game which really did cry out for a Messi during the match, who would net twice for Barcelona at Alavés, just after this contest had ended in Peterborough…  

TEAMS:

PETERBOROUGH SPORTS:

AARON BUTCHER, DAN BUCCIERRO, DAVID COBB, JOSH SANDERS, LIAM MARSHALL, LEWIS WEBB (CAPT), ROGAN McGEORGE, DAN LAWLOR, STUART EASON, AVELINO VIERA, JOSH MOREMAN.

SUBS:

JAMIE GRAHAM, JOSH McCAMMON, CAMERON GOW, MARK JONES, JAMES CONNELL.

BEDWORTH UNITED:

JAMES MARTIN, RYAN SMITH, LUKE ROWE, ELLIOTT PARROTT, JAMIE McATEER, TOM SHARPE, MARK ALBRIGHTON, REECE BLACKMORE, LEVI ROWLEY, KAI WILLIAMS, RICHARD BLYTHE (CAPT).

SUBS:

DOM PERKINS, KYLE CARTWIGHT, IYSEDEN CHRISTIE, JACKSON DOWNIE, RICARDO DUDLEY.