Dale lost again on their travels as they failed to deal and capitalise on a ferocious wind. Dale conceded two first half goals, and struggled to get back into the match.
Dale lost again on their travels as they failed to deal and capitalise on a ferocious wind. Dale conceded two first half goals, and struggled to get back into the match. An improved second half performance counted for nothing as Dale even missed a late penalty.
Dale lost a strange game played in abysmal conditions to two first half goals. Peterboro looked very comfortable and played some good football. Indeed at times they looked to be one of the best sides in the division. On the other hand, Dale created more clear cut chances than they had done in any game this season and the Peterboro Goalkeeper deservedly was awarded the Man of the Match award.
The first half saw Dale start with a ferocious wind behind them, but they struggled to come to terms with it and failed to take advantage. Peterboro seemed very content to sit back and let Dale come at them and attack on the break. They used a very effective offside trap, which caught Dale out almost every single time, with some assistance from the linesman who raised his flag at every appeal. Peterboro started to get on top and they came the closest to scoring. It was only Neil Edwards who prevented them doing so, with a couple of fine saves. Then after about 15 minutes one of the Peterboro players waltzed his way through the entire left hand side of the Dale defence. Nobody came close to tackling him, as our defence went to pieces. He finished off his run with what proved to be a superb strike. He should have been tackled earlier however.
Not long after Andy Barlow was substituted. It didn't seem that he had picked up a knock as he went of the field, though whether he was suffering from some sort of illness remains to be seen. He didn't seem too unhappy at his withdrawal, which you would have expected from any player being subbed so early in the match. Interestingly, Andy Barlow was carried of injured at Posh last season at a similar time.
Alan Johnson was brought on as his replacement and saw Dale go to playing three central defenders, with Williams and Peake playing almost as wing backs. This gave Dale the height they had been lacking in forward play. Dale came into the game more as a result and had a sustained period of pressure. They had several attacks and forced many corners. Graham Lancashire had the best opportunity when put through with only the keeper to beat. The ball bounced a little high for him and he could only fire it straight at the keeper. That really should have been the equaliser.
Dale had a couple of long range efforts from Williams and Painter though neither did anything to trouble the keeper. Dale got a free kick outside of the box with minutes remaining in the first half. It was taken by Peakey who had a shot which sent the keeper the wrong way only for him to turn and still get a hand behind it. This led to a succession of corners, which saw Hilly(I think) come closest, beating the keeper only to see his shot headed off the line by a defender.
The Posh made it two before the break when on the break. Their striker had broke free of the Dale defence, and was almost brought down from behind on the edge of the box, which could have earned a penalty if he wished. He survived to see his shot be saved by Wales number one, only for the ball to rebound back to him, leaving him the simple task of finishing it off.
It was thought that Peterboro with the wind behind them in the second half could run up a cricket score, unless Andy Thackeray syndrome affected the gales. Neither of which happened. Dale tried hard to get back into the game, and had several chances in the second half, though you always got the feeling that Barry Fry's team could step up a gear if they so desired. Again when it looked like Dale had made the breakthrough, their keeper got in the way of the efforts. Johnson and Hill both came close with headers in the second half only to be thwarted. Bailey came on late in the game as replacement for last Sunday's goal hero Mark Williams, though this made little change.
Dale had one last attack when the fourth official had indicated that there would be 3 minutes of extra time. A Dale forward was brought down inside the box by the keeper. He looked to be the last man and should have walked as a result, but the big eared referee decided that a penalty and a yellow card would suffice. Robbie Painter stepped up to take the penalty and blasted in against the left hand post.
The final whistle came as relief to all inside the ground as the conditions had deteriorated to such an extent that the rain was coming down horizontally, soaking the larger than usual contingent of Dale fans under the huge roof at the impressive London Road ground of Peterboro.
Dale: Edwards, Williams(Bailey), Barlow (Johnson), Hill, Monington, Jones, Diaz, Painter, Lancashire, Bryson, Peake.