Peterborough United Foundation’s three scholarship teams all took to the field on Wednesday afternoon as they head towards the Christmas break.
POSH A
Posh A travelled to Chippenham Town, looking to bounce back from last week’s 1-0 defeat at Crawley Town. They were looking to return to the form they’d displayed prior to the Crawley game, form which saw them go unbeaten in four.
It didn’t start well though, as Chippenham took the lead when a ball down the left was put into the box and set back to the edge, where their striker fired his effort into the corner of the net.
Marley Manser went close to levelling the scores shortly after, but saw his effort go wide.
The home side made it two on the half hour mark when the Chippenham right winger beat his marker and delivered a ball into the box – Charlie Jacobs made a smart initial stop, but the rebound was converted.
It went from bad to worse for Posh A on 37 minutes when Chippenham were awarded, and converted, a penalty.
And a miserable first half was sealed when another cross from the Chippenham right was met and finished by an unmarked man at the back post.
Posh A rang the changes at the interval and quickly began to look more threatening. Substitutes Oskar Gadzia and Byron Adiado linked up down the right and the latter delivered a cross, which was turned behind for a corner.
Fellow substitute, Sead Zeneli, then went close with an effort from just outside the box, but his effort was well saved by the Chippenham goalkeeper.
Herbie Hilliard continued to be a constant threat down the Posh A right, carrying on his excellent recent run of form, beating his marker at will and delivering balls into the box.
But in the end, Posh A were shut out and the home side held on to the comfortable lead they’d built for themselves in the first half.
Posh A have the chance to bounce back next week when they return to Premier Cup action, as Crawley Town visit the idverde Training Ground.
FINAL SCORE: Chippenham Town 4-0 Posh A
Posh A XI: Jacobs (GK), Marshall, Waterland, Sakavicius, Kazombiaze, Hilliard, McAlindon, Robinson (C), Carder, Manser, Papworth-Boston
Subs: Zeneli, Topping, Adiado, Gadzia
POSH B
Posh B made the relatively short trip to Luton Town for their latest CEFA Cup Group Stage fixture. They were looking to bounce back from their previous game, where they tasted defeat to Stevenage.
And they came flying out of the blocks and after Max KRZANICKI went close moments before, he did open the scoring when he guided a Cole Mortell cross-shot into the back of the Hatters’ net.
They made it two when Evan WATKINS wrapped a lovely 25-yard free kick into the top corner.
Posh B made it three when a Mortell corner briefly bobbled around the box, before Zak WILD fired home on the turn.
And Posh B made it four when another Mortell corner was met by the head of Harvey Barnes and after a great stop by the goalkeeper, the ball fell kindly for WILD to tap into the net.
Harrison Jones then went close to a goal of the season contender, but his overhead kick from the edge of the box struck the top of the crossbar.
The fifth goal did soon follow though, when a good passage of play resulted in WILD firing home his hat-trick goal.
The scoring continued into the second half and JONES picked up his first scholarship goal when he won the ball high and coolly slotted it past the Luton goalkeeper.
And Jones turned provider for the seventh when he cut inside and lay it off for WATKINS, who cut across the ball and found the top corner from 20 yards.
Posh B had an eighth when JONES got through on goal, took it around the keeper and fired home.
Amarni WARD made it nine when he won and converted a penalty. And WARD added the tenth moments later when he benefitted from some good work by Krzanicki to grab his second of the afternoon.
KRZANICKI added his second of the game when Jones played a great diagonal over to Ward, who centred for the Posh B front man to slide home.
And KRZANICKI rounded off the scoring when he advanced through on goal and applied a composed finish to complete his hat-trick.
FINAL SCORE: Luton Town 0-12 Posh B
Posh B XI: Dabrowski (GK), Scolari, Barnes, O’Carroll, Sabharwal (C), Watkins, Manara, Mortell, Wild, Ward, Krzanicki
Subs: Pearson, Jones, Martin
GIRLS SCHOLARSHIP
Peterborough United Foundation’s Girls Scholarship team welcomed Chelsea to the idverde Training Ground for their latest NFYL South Women’s Premier Division encounter. They were looking to extend their unbeaten run to six games, whilst also bettering the result they had in the corresponding fixture, a 5-3 defeat on the opening day of the season.
Posh started well and won a number of set pieces in promising areas. They almost took the lead when an Ellie Curson corner was met by the head of Jess Abrantes, but her effort went just wide.
Their next chance came along on 20 minutes when Ella Bale spun her marker, but her effort from the edge of the box was straight at the goalkeeper on this occasion.
Posh were putting in a strong display and the visitors (who sit above Posh, third in the league) became growingly frustrated, with their Assistant Manager picking up a caution before the half time interval.
They continued the performance into the second half and Bale went close again after the break, but after beating her marker again, she fired just over the bar.
Curson’s set piece deliveries continued to cause problems for the Chelsea defence and Posh almost took the lead via a corner, but no one could turn the ball home at the back post.
Chelsea took the lead on the hour mark when their midfielder was slid through on goal and calmly found the bottom corner of Meg Dellar’s net.
But Posh stuck to the task and claimed the rewards for their efforts with 15 minutes to play. When Abrantes played a ball over the top, BALE raced onto it and lobbed the keeper to level the scores.
In the end, both sides had to settle for a point. Posh conclude their 2024 fixtures next week, when they travel to league leaders, Barking Abbey.
FINAL SCORE: Posh 1-1 Chelsea
Posh XI: Dellar (GK), Edwards, Evans, Osker, Abrantes, Curson, Oliver, Moisey, T.Smith, Akinyemi, Bale (C)
Subs: G.Smith (GK), Wilson, Pilling, Abbott, Owen
