U23 Professional Development League
Tuesday 9 November 2021
SUFC 2021/22 Game #26
Played at London Road, Peterborough
One of those games with quite a bit of hustle & bustle. A lot going on. But, very few clear cut chances. Peterborough had more of an attacking threat than us. More probing & dynamic than our constantly ineffective try to hit a channel, try one over the top. Despite all that detailed analysis, The Blades had a real chance to win it on 90 +2. Starbuck, by that stage playing right wingback in a reshuffled 5, broke inside. He played the ball into the box and, first Brooks, then Cappello had shots blocked by defenders. And Ange's second effort was stopped by the keeper.
The Carrier Bag Firm Research Branch did some quick due diligence on the Trialist at 5.
Miguel Freckleton. Born Bristol in mid 2003. Attended South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. Joined Mangotsfield United in the summer and plays regularly. Appears to have been converted from attacking midfielder to defender. Played in the U18 FA County Youth Cup for the Gloucestershire FA when he was only 15.
So far, no historical racist tweets have come to light. (Sorry, I'm a big Yorkshire Cricket fan and I've, understandably, become obsessed with that over recent days).
Miguel was as tall as Marcus Dewhurst, but quite thin & wiry. Predominantly left footed. He set up as left centre back with Ky Gordon on his right & Nicksoen Gomis out left. The aforementioned, same heighting Dewhurst behind him (waves, hi Sarah, nice to meet you).
I mean, you couldn't hope to make your trial surrounded by such experience at this level. Partly, that meant Miguel had an easyish time of what I would describe as a steady trial. He mainly took on a "covering role". At defensive corners, he was the Zone Man rather than a marker & blocker. On one (early) attacking corner, Miguel was in a block train behind Gordon. Miguel got free at the back stick and nodded a simple & tidy header back across goal. For long periods of the first half, he was not involved in the game. And pretty static (say compared to Gordon). A lot of the play was through Gordon & down the right. And Gordon often went with the Hollywood cross field switch ball to Gomis. Bypassing Miguel altogether.
That said. On 30, Miguel saw his man go wide & he went with him, stayed tight & made it difficult, correctly worried about drifting too far, and was quick to recover his position. Just a few minutes later, he got dragged across in right centre as our positions broke down on that side. He tidied up really well, stayed very tight on his man. And robbed him as he had nowhere to go. Sticking with that breaking down on the right. I thought Joe Starbuck (initially conventional right back) got the runaround today. The Peterborough players were adopting that "half position" which drags the full back inside & exposés him wide left.
Hassan Ayari was subbed on 75, after a good bit of treatment. He collided with his own captain Andre Brooks right in front of the dug outs. In a swirl of limbs, Hassan copped a Brooks arm in the face. He went off, although to be fair he was already off because of where the clash happened, with what my Carrier Bag Firm colleague described as - cotton wool up the hooter.
With that, Heckingbottom went three at the back - Kamarl Grant, Gordon & Miguel. And guess what, we looked much better in that shape. Starbuck no longer exposed. Miguel active, not static, he got his first chance to go forward with the ball & he looked comfortable.
And while we're still in this episode of Casualty. Pre Brooks whacking Hassan. Regan Slater had gone off in somewhat worrying circumstances as early as 12 minutes. Reags had already been bang at it. A cementer on 6. A second ball tidy up on 9, with a run, and a shot off deflected for a corner. On the left edge of his own penalty area, he got what I thought was a knock on his right ankle. Look, maybe I'm wrong, maybe it was "just" a dead leg. But he was helped off on one leg with Gomis & Fizz holding him up. (Replaced by Peck). Crutches were taken down the tunnel to him. Hope he's OK.
Subject of Sydie Peck. Unfortunately, I'm revising my opinion. He's not as two footed as I'd previously thought. Predominantly Right.
There was great work by Peck to play Antwoine Hackford in on 56. He took it on and went down under pressure. But the Ref waved it on - and I think he was right.
Both sides hit a post within three minutes of each other. On 63, Posh had a great chance. A lovely move down their right. Nice cross. And the attacker got a lot on it and it thumped off Marcus's left hand post and went behind.
Then. Basically the first and only time Ayari really ran at them with the ball at his feet, he was brought down. He took the free kick, a right footed curler that hit the far post.
A great chance for a Peterborough Pub Pootle after a CBF friendly 1pm kick off. The one I'm going to pick out is;
Palmerston Arms
82 Oundle Rd, Woodston, Peterborough PE2 9PA
That's in the CAMRA 2021 Guide (as is the one more or less next door, Yard Of Ale at 72).
A very traditional old ale house. Basically a Bateman's pub. Two of their core range on handpulls. But the rest on Gravity (eight was it?) from a cold room which you can see in through a big glass window behind the bar. Intriguing little pump clips all along the bar to help you choose. In my - must have beer, now, mode - I didn't even realise it was Gravity until he's fucked off once I've ordered.
Baker's Dozen Brewing Co, Superunknown, Hazy Unfined Session IPA, Gravity at 4.6%
(Before he's decided I can have it, he's made sure I understand it's Unfined & will be hazy. Proper. Proper.) I'd had another Baker's Dozen beer in the Yard Of Ale & asked whether it was local - "from Ketten, Ketten, you know Ketten, where the cement is from".
Nene Valley Brewery, Simple Pleasures, Pale Ale, Gravity at 3.6%
Conversely, clear as a bell & dive in inviting.
If you're interested in team details, here's a photograph of the teamsheet. Once photographed, I immediately turned it over to the Carrier Bag Firm Duty Memorabilia Realisation Official. As I don't collect them myself.
Congratulations, you may have just been CLICKBAITED by the Carrier Bag Firm.
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