Preview: Peterborough United vs Exeter City

Archie Collins’ late stunner at Port Vale ensured City earned their first win under Gary Caldwell and advanced to the second round of the FA Cup. This weekend it’s back to the league and City’s run of tough fixtures against sides at the top continues with the visit of Peterborough. Having had a mad run of games City will have welcomed a week off to rest tired legs and edge others closer to fitness – Cheick Diabate was again missing at Port Vale but will hopefully be fit enough at least for the bench, while Harry Kite will be vying for a start which may mean Tim Dieng steps aside. With Scott Brown leaving the club Harry Lee will be back on the bench while City’s continued injury woes saw Mitch Beardmore named on the bench last week as City fielded seven subs when they could have named nine for the FA Cup.

A side that has become something of a yo-yo club between the Championship and League One, Peterborough are determined to make their latest visit to the third tier a short one and, after a wobble a couple of months ago where they lost six in a row in all competitions, Grant McCann’s side has lost just one since, although they face an FA Cup replay next midweek after a tepid 0-0 draw against League Two side Salford City. In what is due to be owner Darragh MacAnthony’s final season as owner as he has announced his intention to stand aside, the entertaining style that has been a trademark of his ownership remains in tact, last Saturday’s 0-0 draw the first of the season and a rare occasion on which Posh have failed to score. Key to this is Jonson Clarke-Harris, whose 11 league goals have him currently top of the scoring chart in League One, while Jack Marriott is also a significant goal threat. One player who would be desperate but unlikely to feature is Joel Randall, whose career has stalled somewhat at Peterborough since his reported seven-figure departure from City in the summer of 2021. Randall has started just two league games while his last action was a start against Wycombe in the EFL Trophy almost a month ago.

The most recent action between these sides has been in the cups – a pair of 2-0 wins for Peterborough in the 2018/19 EFL Trophy and the 2013/14 FA Cup, while the last league encounter was in the 2010/11 season where promotion-bound Peterborough took four points from the fixture. The corresponding match finished 2-2 – a Troy Archibald-Henville own goal was cancelled out by goals from Dan Nardiello and Jamie Cureton before Lee Tomlin levelled late on. Posh won 3-0 at London Road, a George Boyd double and Craig Mackail-Smith sealing the win. City’s last win in this fixture was back in 1999 when a Steve Flack double ensured a 2-0 win, and Peterborough have the lead in league head to heads with 14 wins to City’s 11 – while 19 matches have finished level, the fact Peterborough have drawn just one league match this season makes a draw fairly unlikely.

The match officials for this game will be:-

Referee: Tom Reeves
Richard Morris and Adam Ricketts
Fourth Official : Adrian Quelch

Tom last refereed Exeter at the end of last season, in the 1-0 home defeat to Port Vale.

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