The Christmas schedule has been relentless. Game after game, it’s just been incessant. I love football, but it’s hard to keep up. Previews, podcasts, reports, interviews, everything has just been jumbled.
This Christmas, we have risen to the challenge. This Christmas, and New Year, and the awkwardly crammed in post-New Year game, we have been just as relentless, and over 70 minutes today, we were again just outstanding. I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined we’d come through the five festive matches with 13 points. After the late concession against Wycombe, I didn’t see where 20 points could possibly come from the eight games we had to play.
Today was so unrelenting that I have had to watch the highlights back just to remember what our goals were. Walking away from the ground, I couldn’t even name all the scorers. I know we didn’t score ten or anything, but that is the number we’ve put past Posh now inside a calendar year. For the record, we scored ten in league matches at home against Posh between 28th September 1989 and 24th January 2025. That was 12,902 days.
I love numbers, and while that is slightly skewed as it counts the day before we hit five last year, and the day after a 1-0 1989 win, it’s still pretty cool. In fairness to them, five reflected really well on us, and I still rate them as one of the better sides we’ve faced this season.
It was a surprise that we went 3-4-3 again, and with the same XI from Huddersfield from a couple of days ago. I worried about tired legs, but I guess I didn’t factor in that they might have the same. It’s the same for every club, and yet for the first 20 minutes, I thought we looked a bit leggy.
They didn’t. They started with real purpose, finding big passes out to the flanks, where Frith and Lisbie were touchline-hugging. Lisbie gave Darikwa and Tom Hamer a real tough time, and on the other flank, Reach and Towler struggled to contain Frith. They looked like a side with five wins in six, and for 20 minutes or so, they brought the game to us.
That does not mean they were the only ones creating chances, by the way. We fashioned the opening chance after seven minutes, Hamer’s long throw creating uncertainty in the opposition box. The initial danger was cleared, but City kept the pressure on and Ivan Varfolomeev picked up the loose ball, firing narrowly over the bar.
The visitors responded almost immediately, working the ball neatly through midfield before Brandon Khela, a rumoured Imps’ target, burst forward into space. He opted to shoot from distance, but his effort arrowed wide of the upright.
City went close again when the seemingly indefatigable Rob Street cleverly flicked the ball into the path of Freddie Draper. The striker used his strength to get the better of the Posh defender and break through one-on-one, but Alex Bass stood firm and won the battle to deny him. That drew a round of sighs from some near me, as Draper has become the new fall guy.
While we had chances, they got the first goal, and on the balance of control, they deserved it. Khela was involved, with Darikwa unable to get a strong enough toe to deny Lisbie a crossing opportunity. When the ball came in, Towler was wrong side of Harry Leonard, who stabbed home.
It wasn’t unfair. They’d been more composed, asked us some tactical questions and I have to say were good value for the lead. We needed something to change, we felt a little stunted. I fear fatigue, and I figured if we got to half-time at 1-0, then we’d been in with a chance playing against the sun. I don’t think that should be underestimated, nor the quality George Wickens showed when he thwarted one attack by coming out, sun in his eyes, and heading the ball clear, while wearing a cap.
Our big break came when the assistant referee pulled up injured. It stopped the game for a few minutes, and the players gathered around Michael and the coaching staff. Something changed, and I can’t put my finger on what, but it did. In his post-match presser, Michael said something about tweaking the press (for those that don’t do new football speak, that means changing how we run up to their players when they have the ball). Whatever it was, it sparked a three-goal salvo that warmed the hearts of everyone wearing red and white. Not the toes though, they stayed frozen.
We drew level after 33 minutes, meaning we were only behind for nine minutes. Responding to goals is something we do so, so well, and once again, it proved to be the case. It started and finished with Reeco Hackett, a player who is in peak form right now. He controlled a long ball forward from the defence before shifting play wide to Darikwa. El Capitan delivered a calm low cut-back into the penalty area, and Hackett arrived to finish confidently with a side-footed effort.
That really lit the burners under City, and for the next 15 minutes, we were more relentless than the Christmas schedule. Darikwa went close to putting us ahead, his driven effort taking a slight deflection and after Hackett’s free-kick had been nodded back across goal by Hamer.
It felt like only a matter of time, which was surprising given the opening few moments, but City did move in front soon after through Draper. I was utterly delighted for him, a player some of the boo boys have now moved on to in Makama’s Championship-enforced absence. It is a wonderful move, Darikwa channelling his inner Ronaldo to ping a ball with the outside of the boot to Reach. His delivery caused issue and like a battering ram, Draper beat Carl Johnston and finished from close range.
Two minutes later, with the clock showing 47 minutes of the eventual 51 we played, our captain got on the scoresheet. Darikwa, who had been at the heart of much of City’s attacking play in the first half, capped a fine spell with a stunning first-time finish before the interval. Draper was involved again, this time battling with Archie Collins who maybe played the ball himself to Hackett by trying to clear. He couldn’t get a shot away, but laid it into Darikwa’s path. He’s clearly been doing shooting practice, as his cleanly hit strike beat Alex Bass, although the keeper might be disappointed to have seen it late.
Phew. From 1-0 down and hearing a few grumbles, to 3-1 up and cruising (again) against Posh. I hoped we’d go in at 1-0 to get back into it, then hoped we’d hold on for 2-1, but by half time, the game was ours to lose, and that’s credit to our relentless work ethic and some real moments of quality.
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