After having a very carefully planned meeting at Peterborough cancelled I decided to take the day off and prepare for the game properly...in the back garden with a few beers!
I was looking forward to Peterborough, it’s the closest game to home, and it’s standing. Not often now can we stand on the terraces, it’s time they were brought back to football. Lessons have been learnt since that awful day at Hillsborough, and I am sure most grounds could accommodate safe standing.
Before the game
The planned meet at the Palmerston Arms went down well with Batty, Conrad, Geoff, Kettering and son, Bedford and his lads and MickyD all in attendance. Nice pub with a great selection of ales, will certainly visit there again if I get the chance. Geoff and I then walked down to the Peacock for a quick drink with Yarmouth, before making our way over to the ground.
It’s a proper old ground with just one side of the having a new stand. The rest is how it’s been for years, great to see.
Once in the ground all the talk was about Greening not being in the squad and Fulham offering £4.5 Million?....(snap their hands off JP!)
Good start for the Baggies
The Albion started the game quite brightly and we were seeing most of the early ball, and with Wood and Moore up front, they both looked lively. We took the lead after only 3 minutes when a mistake by the Posh defence let in Moore who scored with a well taken goal. At first I thought I was suffering the effects of 5 pints of real ale and I was seeing things, but no, it was confirmed Luke had scored; and if that was not enough, he did it again half-an-hour later when Wood found Moore in space, who shot past the flapping Posh keeper...just like buses, eh Luke!!!!!!
It should have been game over when Brunty scored from a decent looking Cummings cross......but poor defending on the far post cost us a goal right on half-time when an unmarked Mackail-Smith easily converted a cross from the left.
We all knew what would happen next, and it did, they got an early goal and threw everything at us, and but for a disputed foul on Carson it could have been 3-3. We did not create too much in the second-half. We seemed content to sit back with our lead - which we are not good enough to do and it could so easily have cost us 2 points. Silly foul by Dorrans right at the end earned him a second yellow card.
On reflection
All in all a great afternoon, nice company, nice beer, and another good away win. But, there are a few buts, we need to defend much better. When you are 3 up you should not make the silly mistakes we made, that needs working on. Good performance by Cummings, Woods was more involved, and it was finally nice to see Luke doing what we pay him to do. Yes I did clap him off when he was substituted, much to the amusement of Yarmouth, Lincs and Geoff, but as I have said I hope Luke proves me wrong and scores a few this season; last night should give him plenty of confidence.
Great vocal support also from the Albion fans...non-stop singing for 90 minutes!