Andy Munro reports on Blues’ home draw with Peterborough.
It was billed as one of the most attractive matches of the season but disappointingly was watched by the third worst crowd in the Championship, a pity because the Blues fans witnessed an entertaining game which had everything but three points.
The home side put out their strongest side, although I would have had Redmond on the bench for the X factor he brings to any game. I would also have played Wade Elliot in the centre instead of either Fahy or Spector.
However, the side was still a strong one and after the comparatively fitful home performance against the Seasiders, they played some superb football whilst the Posh’s much vaunted attack rarely looked dangerous. Both Carr and Burke and Murphy and Beausejour combined well down the flanks to get behind the opposition defence without anybody being in the position to finish off the final ball. Marlon King spurned one clearcut chance before finally netting following predictably good and energetic work from Murphy.
By the way, the rumours that inevitably surround such decisions held that Man of the Match Murphy was only playing because Liam Ridgewell had been allegedly caught out drinking late in Solihull. Maybe he was in training for the Bigg Market in Newcastle. Certainly if he signs as a fringe player for the Magpies ,he can make Gardener – another player who increasingly has time on his hands – his regular drinking partner.
Mind you, Blues being Blues continued to waste opportunities right into the second half with even Murphy missing a nailed on header. The Posh altered their shape quite effectively to bottle up our wide options which should have given our centre of midfield an advantage but regretfully the one-paced Fahy and the basic hustle and bustle of Spector was never going to unlock any doors.
Then the inevitable happened when, after Blues almost-embarrassing superiority, the visitors scored direct from a free kick which gave Myhill absolutely no chance. Without Redmond or Rooney, the attacking options were limited and Wade unfortunately came on for Beausejour rather than for one of the central midfielders. Zigic also came on but without the wide players being able to deliver many crosses, he got few opportunities to use his strength at the far post. He had come on for Chris Wood instead of the tiring Marlon King, which I felt was the wrong decision and near the end Ziggy failed to make any real effort to stretch even a millimetre of his ample frame to get to a cross with the goal gaping. Admittedly the cross was from King but it would have undoubtedly have been buried by Chris Wood.
It obviously wasn’t the result that we wanted but the Blues did play well and at least notched up another point. So it’s not a disaster and the real disappointment was the size of the crowd which, without the addition of a sizeable contingent of Posh fans, would have, quite frankly, been shocking.