football rambles

 After seeing Peterborough dismantle Derby last month, I was assuming that the Cambridge defeat was a blip or just one of those things that happens in the derby. However, on Saturday Posh took on Ipswich in what is another derby of sorts and were totally dismantled by the visitors. Ipswich, to be fair have been in great form recently and look like one of the favourites for automatic promotion with a game in hand and a point more than Sheffield Wednesday in third. Wednesday went through a bad run of form at a key time and Ipswich seem to have hit the form needed to take them over the line. Posh, well they might scrape playoffs, but even after the game against Derby, I haven't really expected them to go up this season. Wes Burns opened the scoring for the visitors on 17 minutes and although Peterborough had the majority of the position - and continued to throughout the game, it was the visitors who always carried a threat. It was a bit of a surprise it was only 1-0 at halftime, as Po...

 Well, Cambridge manager Mark Bonner in his post-match press conference said that the Us had found form at the right time. A month earlier might have made it a less nerve wracking end to the season.  This was the first Cambridgeshire Derby at the Abbey in over 40 years and it couldn't have been much more important for either team with Posh chasing promotion and Cambridge after a good start to April giving themselves a reasonable shot at survival after a few months when relegation looked inevitable.  Understandably Posh were the favourites going into the game, but it was Cambridge who started the stronger. Cambridge were the better team in the first half, but it didn't look like they were going to get the goal they deserved until Harrison Dunk in his 12th season at the club popped up to stab the ball home after it rebounded out from a Jack Lankester shot. Cambridge continued to dominate in the second half and Sam Smith made it 2-0 to the home team and Posh never really loo...

 The day after Cambridge beat Fleetwood saw Ely take on Long Melford. I hadn't been to a game down the Unwin AKA Demcon Arena for a while and it doesn't seem like I had missed much. At half time Long Melford had a slender 1-0 lead and Ely were by no means out of it. However, some poor keeping decisions and a disorganised defence  saw Long Melford soon extend their lead to 4 before Ely got a late consolation goal. It was good to catch up with some people, but not worth the £8 entrance fee, to be honest. 

 After beating Port Vale away last Saturday, Cambridge continued with their good form by beating Fleetwood on Good Friday. They made it 7 out of 9 points on Monday when they got a draw with a stoppage time equaliser from Sam Smith. The Us have now given themselves a fighting chance when it had appeared that they were dead and buried. The Fleetwood game got off to a good start when Jack Lankester scored a beauty on 3 minutes. For the rest of the half the teams seemed to be fairly equally balanced. Fleetwood had more of the possession but Cambridge had the better chances. The better chances usually coming from set pieces, which Cambridge looked dangerous from and Fleetwood didn't seem adverse to giving away. That said it was with some relief that we went into the break with the Us still in the lead. I was still expecting that the Cod Army would fight back after Broony had shoved a rocket up them at half time, but fortunately it didn't really happen until it was too late. The ill-...

 It's a long trip to Stoke-on-Trent and one that I'd been swayed to taking when I thought that there was a train strike on this day, which in the end there wasn't, but I am still glad we went. If I hadn't been at the match, I would have presumed it was an April Fool's Day prank when I saw the result. Cambridge scoring a goal never mind two is a rare enough occurrence, so getting two and winning away is not aomething anybody would have expected before the game. I also have to say that the Tommy Cheadle Social Club with £3 a pint Marston's and old school fanzine the Port Vale Beano for sale felt like a bit of a throwback and as I got an old pound coin as part of my change, it really did take me back. The first half was the turgid affair that we all expected it to be, with Port Vale with not much to play for and Cambridge being abject for most of the season. However, it was Cambridge who had the better chances and Shilow Tracey and Jack Lankester both came close fo...

 This was quite an important match for both of the teams with Derby occupying the last play-off place in 6th and Peterborough in 7th. Posh couldn't replace the Rams after this game, but a positive result really put pressure on Derby. This could end up being a pivotal result with Peterborough seemingly with what looks on paper, like an easier run in. It was really a game of two halves with Derby dominant in the first half and perhaps unlucky not to go in at the break ahead. Old Villa boy Connor Hourihane and old Peterborough favourite, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing in particular causing Posh problems. Will Norris in goals for Peterborough pulled off a couple of big saves to keep his team in it. The second half however was a very different story. Fergie clearly outthought Paul Warne and to give his team fresh impetus brought on Dan Butler and Kwame Poku for Josh Knight and Harrison Burrows and it really paid dividends. Ephron Mason Clark showed speed on the left in the 52nd minute and after...

 Saturday saw Thetford take on Haverhill Rovers on what on paper looked like a bit of a mismatch with Thetford nailed on for promotion - presuming that the ground meets requirements - and Rovers languishing adrift in the relegation spots. Thetford were not to have it all their own way though. Thetford raced into the lead with two early goals and by 20 minutes were two up through Elliot Smith and Daniel Gilchrist. At this point we were expecting a bit of a walk over, but a Rovers side that had a number of young players stepping up to the squad didn't give up and Thetford got a bit complacent. A mix up at the back and some lazy defending allowed them back in the game, when one of the young players stepping up, Will Newell slotted home to make sure Thetford couldn't go in at the break too confidently. Thetford must have had a rocket at half time, as they came out firing once again and it wasn't long before Cameron King had made it three for the home side. The rest of the half ...