Posh 2 (Assombalonga, Tomlin (pen)) - Oldham 1 (MacDonald)
When I was younger the name Oldham was synonymous with batteries. Posh could certainly have done with that product to kick some
life into their lack-lustre display against a neat, tidy, workman-like Oldham team in their post-Dickov era. Posh were fortunate to score 2 rather than the 5 we put past
the 'Latics last time we were in this Division.
Our tempo, control and tackling was far too ponderous and we lacked any sort of creativity, sitting off the Oldham players, who seemed to win virtually every
50/50 challenge, allowing them to pass the ball easily though, apart from one shot straight at Bobby Olejnik and another which was superbly tipped over the bar
by the keeper, they did not create that much of a goal mouth threat, and Posh created even less.
This match had a feeling of deja vu, reminiscent of the Swindon game, though to be fair Swindon are a technically better team than Oldham, the Lancashire
team making up for this with hard work, harrying the Posh players whenever they did get the ball, forcing errors.
Posh have numerous players with technical ability, but little of that was on show today. Darren Ferguson had said before this game we needed to work harder
than the opposition in League One, we could not just turn up and expect to win, yet the majority of the hard work was from the Oldham team.
Just as we did against Swindon, Posh took the lead in the first half, against the run of play, thanks to route 1 football and superb control and finishing by MOM
Britt Assombalonga, his 3rd League goal in as many matches.
I felt we were fortunate to be leading at the break and that after half-time surely Posh would up the pace and run out comfortable winners.
Not a bit of it! We seemed to get worse, balls hoofed aimlessly forward or directly into touch, if Oldham could up their tempo and goal threat
the match was theirs for the taking.
Ferguson made 2 changes early in the second period, Mark Little coming on for Craig Alcock, who seemed to earn the Referee's displeasure with every challenge.
He was already on a yellow card so it seemed a wise decision. Jack Payne also entered the fray in place of Danny Kearns. Danny Swanson replaced a rather
ineffectual Grant McCann later in the game and it was at this point that we began to win a little control in midfield, Lee Tomlin in particular bursting into life,
seizing on a misplaced Oldham pass, surging down the right firing narrowly wide, shooting across the keeper.
Assombalonga was instrumental in Posh's second goal, a ball played over the top of the Oldham defenders for Britt to run onto and the keeper mistiming his challenge to concede
the penalty. Tomlin fired right as the keeper dived in the opposite direction, 2 - 0 with 10 minutes remaining - surely game over?
That is not the Posh way, instead of keeping possession and playing in the Oldham half we sat too deep allowing them to come forward, our passing and tackling became ragged
and disorganised, it was a disappointment that Oldham's MacDonald scored, but it was not undeserved, indeed, with virtually the last kick of the game they might well have scored an
equalising goal.
Well done Oldham, you were the better team today, dictating the tempo and style, you will win a lot more games than you lose.
As for Posh, for the second home match in succession we played below par and won, a welcome 3 points, but not pretty to watch.
When I was younger the name Oldham was synonymous with batteries. Posh could certainly have done with that product to kick some
life into their lack-lustre display against a neat, tidy, workman-like Oldham team in their post-Dickov era. Posh were fortunate to score 2 rather than the 5 we put past
the 'Latics last time we were in this Division.
Our tempo, control and tackling was far too ponderous and we lacked any sort of creativity, sitting off the Oldham players, who seemed to win virtually every
50/50 challenge, allowing them to pass the ball easily though, apart from one shot straight at Bobby Olejnik and another which was superbly tipped over the bar
by the keeper, they did not create that much of a goal mouth threat, and Posh created even less.
This match had a feeling of deja vu, reminiscent of the Swindon game, though to be fair Swindon are a technically better team than Oldham, the Lancashire
team making up for this with hard work, harrying the Posh players whenever they did get the ball, forcing errors.
Posh have numerous players with technical ability, but little of that was on show today. Darren Ferguson had said before this game we needed to work harder
than the opposition in League One, we could not just turn up and expect to win, yet the majority of the hard work was from the Oldham team.
Just as we did against Swindon, Posh took the lead in the first half, against the run of play, thanks to route 1 football and superb control and finishing by MOM
Britt Assombalonga, his 3rd League goal in as many matches.
I felt we were fortunate to be leading at the break and that after half-time surely Posh would up the pace and run out comfortable winners.
Not a bit of it! We seemed to get worse, balls hoofed aimlessly forward or directly into touch, if Oldham could up their tempo and goal threat
the match was theirs for the taking.
Ferguson made 2 changes early in the second period, Mark Little coming on for Craig Alcock, who seemed to earn the Referee's displeasure with every challenge.
He was already on a yellow card so it seemed a wise decision. Jack Payne also entered the fray in place of Danny Kearns. Danny Swanson replaced a rather
ineffectual Grant McCann later in the game and it was at this point that we began to win a little control in midfield, Lee Tomlin in particular bursting into life,
seizing on a misplaced Oldham pass, surging down the right firing narrowly wide, shooting across the keeper.
Assombalonga was instrumental in Posh's second goal, a ball played over the top of the Oldham defenders for Britt to run onto and the keeper mistiming his challenge to concede
the penalty. Tomlin fired right as the keeper dived in the opposite direction, 2 - 0 with 10 minutes remaining - surely game over?
That is not the Posh way, instead of keeping possession and playing in the Oldham half we sat too deep allowing them to come forward, our passing and tackling became ragged
and disorganised, it was a disappointment that Oldham's MacDonald scored, but it was not undeserved, indeed, with virtually the last kick of the game they might well have scored an
equalising goal.
Well done Oldham, you were the better team today, dictating the tempo and style, you will win a lot more games than you lose.
As for Posh, for the second home match in succession we played below par and won, a welcome 3 points, but not pretty to watch.
