Peterborough Sports 2-1 Oxford City (National League North)
I’m back at Pims Park for only the second time this season and second time in eight nights in fact, impressed on my last visit between Sports and Farsley with the new media area seating arrangements of Lincoln Road, it makes a whole lot of difference when attending games to have a decent view point, which previously wasn’t the case, so return I do and looking forward to seeing a match (in comfort) between two sides looking to stay safe in the National League North this season.
This mid to lower table battle has two clubs a little out of the playoff race, looking nearer like they need to avoid the drop zone as soon as possible as the table stands, Peterborough in thirteenth beaten at Brackley 1-0 on Saturday, eighteenth placed Oxford losing 2-1 at home to Leamington, it’s not been a great season for ‘the hoops’ who were relegated from the National League last year, they are at least still in the FA Trophy and have a home tie against Woking to play in the quarter finals.
It's been a quiet day, after spending the weekend watching mainly FA Cup football, I recovered on Monday from a failed late night NFL Superbowl attempt, just about recovered by Tuesday morning, I’ve had the dog picked up by friends as the wife is working, sorry shopping in London, made myself a Gousto and have headed out by half five, a different route tonight, through Melton Mowbray and Oakham, past the beautiful Rutland Water (although I can’t see it because it’s dark) and onto the A1 at Stamford where there’s only 6 miles of trunk road before turning off at Peterborough, it’s less miles than my usual route (A52/A1), much more idyllic, slightly longer by ten minutes but I have time, arriving at my unofficially designated car parking space on a side street next to the Thistlemoor Medical Centre.
The Venue
It always feels an airy walk around here, I check nobody’s hovering around as I get out my car, the walk down Lincoln Road takes me past a hand car wash and convenience store packed with so much stuff you think it’s impossible that half of it would be in date, shady foreigners walking around outside in groups, I turn a sharp left before trudging down the final track on foot to the ground where two polite stewards say ‘Hello’ and ask how I am tonight.
It's dark and cold, a bit of light drizzle in the air is turning to mist, I walk through the small turnstile and into the ground where again I’m met by friendly people, on the door there’s some bubbly girls who let me in with a smile and a joke, in the clubhouse there’s a polite chap who says ‘ayup mate’ as I walk to the toilet, an Oxford fan opens the door for me with a nod of his head, the one thing I love about this level is the friendliness of the people involved, not doing it to fill their pockets, although it helps, but doing it for their community, for their club, shining a light on the beautiful game and non-league football in this great country of ours.
I walk down slowly towards the media section half way between the new covered seating area and the new(ish) covered standing area that hog the left hand touchline, Radio Oxfordshire is already here, but the media tables are wet, above there’s a Portakabin which hosts the matchday PA but there are gaps in the ceiling where rain can get through, I head back to the clubhouse to ask for some tissue, where the friendly chap hovering around who previously said ‘ayup’ now asks if he can help, before passing me some blue roll from the bar.
Back at my seat, slightly drier, I chat with the Radio Oxfordshire guy and a girl from Oxford City who's an interim who records the clubs stats, they tell me strikers Josh Parker and Corie Andrews had a fall out at the weekend after Andrews wouldn’t let Parker take a penalty, keeping the ball for himself, he then had his spot kick saved, it’s been one of a number of penalties missed by City this season.
Suddenly the Radio Cambridgeshire guy trundles over, he’s not happy, the media seats are taken, “I’ve had a nightmare getting here” he says, “I can’t sit next to them” he says, pointing to the arch-enemy public radio service. “If I knew they were here I wouldn’t have come”.
He’s an old boy the Peterborough Sports reporter for BBC Cambridge, a Leicester City fan, a football fan who loves doing the rounds at various grounds locally, he tells me of the time he almost missed reporting duties at the likes of Gloucester and St Ives due to over-enjoying their hospitality services. “They had roast beef and Yorkshire puddings” at one ground, he tells me.
Still chatting away, I’m joined by a fellow scout who was at the Boston match with me on Saturday, it’s like a mothers meeting as we all chat outside in an otherwise empty football ground, players warming up on the far side as the odd straggler walks past to their standing point.
Finally, the commotion calms, we all sit somewhere suitable, the view here is quaint, a post in view, sat on a slightly raised platform, the end opposite a mish/mash of seated area, dugouts, changing rooms, a TV gantry, to the left and right roofed stands behind the goal, the top end full of home fans, the bottom end empty but for one or two.
The Game
Oxford surprisingly and welcomely walk out in lime green, Sports in burnt orange, the mist is rolling in so the bright kits do help on a foggy night like tonight, and the away side start bright, they look up for it as they get their head and foot in when needed, I feel they’ve had a telling off from Manager Ross Jenkins after being beaten by Leamington, the response is good, against a gutsy and fierce opponent, Peterborough are ‘always’ up for the scrap, but tonight it seems Oxford are too, and they are the better team in a first half where they force the home team keeper into action on a couple of occasions.
Corie Andrews eventually breaking the deadlock on 37 minutes, he capitalised on a defensive error by Sports player Manager Michael Gash at centre half, Andrews in on goal finishing past Crook who had earlier made a decent stop to keep out an inevitable opener.
It’s what Oxford deserved, both sides can play, both sides choosing ‘route one’ is better suited, but through McEachran in midfield, Alfie Potter and Josh Ashby, Oxford have good footballers, with a lively pairing, now friends, in Parker and Andrews up top, they’ve been combative with Peterborough tonight and in big defender Jalen Jones, and left back Chi Ezennolim, they have more than matched their opponents physical threat.
The Score
At half time I wonder how can Oxford lose this? The away consortium sat beside us quietly confident, as I work out with everyone if Zach McEachran was booked on the stroke of the half? The midfielder certainly had a tackle worthy of a yellow, he certainly took a talking and the Referee wrote something down, but it was never obvious, whether he brandished a card, or not.
Onto the action and Peterborough make a change for the second half with Kieran Wallace, on loan from Hartlepool United, formerly of Forest, Burton Albion, Mansfield Town, he’ll add quality and experience in the middle of the park for young Jonathan Bland who struggled somewhat.
Peterborough do improve, they look lively when direct, through the pacey Michael Gyasi up front, whilst Dan Jarvis from wide is always a threat, the longer the game goes though the more you feel Oxford are comfortable, but after a couple of sub changes, which includes Mark Jones coming on for the injured Max Booth, suddenly Sports level from nowhere.
Gyasi dancing into the box, striking a post, Jones is on hand to bundle in the rebound.
That sets a lively crowd of 190 off, some screaming kids and locals have been constantly shouting out to the officials about Oxford’s time wasting and gamesmanship, those jeers turning to cheers, now the home side are level, up for it, suddenly, let’s see what they have got.
The final minutes are spent with Peterborough pushing, Josh Parker goes down injured on 90 and the officials don’t let him back on the pitch, that leads to a couple of minutes of intense 11v10 pressure, Parker never returns, by the time the sub is finally made, Oxford are clinging on, Gyasi dances into the box again, he’s at the by-line and pulls across for Jarvis to slot home unmarked and arriving late, in true Jarvis fashion, a winning goal in 90+4.
It’s a sickener for Oxford who don’t deserve to lose, they were for many minutes the best team on the night, a draw might have been the fairer result, but the home team won’t care about that, a win that takes them to eleventh, it’s a happy place is Pims Park on the final whistle, as I say good bye to my new found Oxford friends and wave with a fist pump towards the BBC Radio Cambridgeshire chap who has long decided to park himself in the comfy Directors seats.
The Stars
For Oxford, I thought they played the better stuff on the night, they looked energetic and front footed, defensively solid for most of it, left back Ezennolim thick set and solid, Jalen Jones at centre half is huge, in midfield Alfie Potter and McEachran often shown good feet, the tall Josh Ashby sitting in behind, up front both Parker and Andrews paired well, but it wasn’t to be, it sounds like it’s been like that all season.
Peterborough did have their spells, and in particular in the second half, had a lot of possession as they pushed for their late goals, Peter Crook their man of the match by a mile in the first half, the goalkeeper is one of the best I’ve seen, in the division, tall, good shot stopper, claims crosses, kicks well, everything you need to be a National League regular.
In the second half we saw more from their frontmen, and Michael Gyasi grew into the game, to become the deciding factor, his pace and persistence one reason why they won it, but in Dan Jarvis they have a man with a knack of getting important goals, he played well as did Mark Jones who put himself about up top, after coming on as sub.
The Verdict
Peterborough are up to eleventh and they may eye an outside chance of a playoff chase. Rumour is next season, their owner is going to give it one serious go at promotion, failing that, I don’t know what the ceiling is at this club? Less than 200 fans on a Tuesday night in a small town of Posh followers can only get you so far?
For Oxford, survival is key, maybe Wembley would be nice, but for a club with real history in non-league (they won their first FA Amateur Cup in 1905), it would be good to see them survive, even if it restricts them to the Northern Hemisphere of the step two ladder? Quite clearly this club would fear better in the south, where attracting players would be easier, where travel would be less, but in what they have already got, they are clearly good enough for this division too, something is not clicking, but when it does, like when they play in the FA Trophy, as they did in beating Forest Green, they are a match for anybody, and they’ll need to take that kind of cup mentality into their next run of games, if they are to ensure they won’t get dragged into a drop fight.
The Teams
Peterborough Sports: Peter Crook, Elliot Putman, Ryan Fryatt, William van Lier, Dan Jarvis, Kaine Felix, Hugh Alban-Jones, Jonathan Bland (Kieran Wallace 46), Michael Gyasi, Michael Gash, Max Booth (Mark Jones 56).
Oxford City: Kai McKenzie-Lyle, Andre Burley, Chi Ezennolim, Josh Ashby, Jalen Jones, Lewis Coyle, Corie Andrews, Zac McEachran, Josh Parker (Jayden Carbon 90), Alfie Potter, Aaron Drewe.
7:45pm Kick Off. Tuesday 11th February 2025, Lincoln Road, Peterborough (att 190).
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