FC Peterborough v Great Yarmouth Town.

 

Saturday 29th July 2023.   Report by Martin Baxter.

 

For the first time in as long as anyone can remember Yarmouth got their season off to a start in July with the long journey up the A47 to FC Peterborough. 

 

This was the first ever meeting between the 2 clubs, with Peterborough achieving back to back promotions to earn the right to host their first ever match at step 6 level.    

 

Yarmouth gave a debut to new signing Kyle French and came into this encounter on the back of a 6 match unbeaten pre-season and were in a confident and optimistic frame of mind throughout the club.  

 

The game kicked off and the home side aware of the magnitude of this encounter for them as as club came out of the blocks flying and their 2 wide players Sanha and Sanches were attacking the Yarmouth defence with lightning pace and it looked like being a very busy afternoon for full backs Halliday and Duffield.

 

In the 9th minute following a superb counter attack the ball fell to Khan 15 yards out who hit a superb volley which sailed into the top left hand net to give the home side the goal they had been pushing for and the Bloaters at this point were struggling to get into this match.    

 

However to their credit they did rally and in the 20th minute a Halliday free kick was sent into the box and after hitting the post the keeper failed to grab the ball from the re-bound and Sanders capitalized on the mistake to tap home and put his team all square at 1-1.   

The front 3 of Peterborough were still looking a real handful and 4 minutes later Sanha went on a fantastic solo run which ended with him sliding his effort just wide of the left hand post and in the 30th minute the home side came even closer to re-taking the lead when Neves hit a volley from 20 yards out that just went over the bar.

 

Both Sanha and Sanches then created further opportunities and it is seemed only a matter of time before they re-took the lead.

 

The turning point in the game came in the 40th minute when Peterborough’s centre half Burnage went off with a calf injury and had to be replaced and this seemed to unsettle them at the back and they started to look a lot less solid as a unit.

 

Right on half-time and against the run of play a wonder strike from Duffield from fully 25 yards out sailed into the top corner of the net to send the travelling “Amber Wave” army into raptures! 

 

Half time: FC Peterborough 1  Great Yarmouth Town 2.

 

The 2nd half started and the first chance fell to the home side when Khan almost doubled his tally with a close range effort which was well stopped by keeper Lane, and 2 minutes later Couzens beat his marker on the left flank and tried to score from a very tight angle and the ball rattled against the bar before being cleared by the home defence.

 

Peterborough were now starting to look a little ragged at the back and 2 minutes later Fenn went clean through on goal, however the keeper did well to come out and narrow his angle and pull off a very good save and on the hour mark Belmar was replaced by new signing Akpan. 

 

This 2nd half was much more evenly contested and become an excellent game of football to watch with both sides attacking each other at will and Couzens had another opportunity on 67 minutes, however he put his shot just wide from 15 yards out.   

 

In the 70th minute Yarmouth’s man of the match Sanders was replaced by another new signing when Sanshaw made his debut in the amber and black and the physical presence that he and Akpan were now offering up front seemed to really unsettle the Peterborough defence and Sanshaw had a shot from close range sail just over the bar in the 73rd minute.

 

The home side should really have pulled level 7 minutes later, however French somehow managed to clear a Khan shot off of the line when it looked like being a certain goal and the Bloaters were now finding themselves under a bit of late pressure in the closing stages of this highly enjoyable encounter.   

 

Yarmouth made 2 more late changes when Fenn was replaced by another new boy Spooner and Adams came on for French and they switched to a 4-4-2 formation in order to hold on to what they had and travel back down the A47 with 3 precious points.

 

And despite having to deal with a couple of late scares and also being grateful to keeper Lane for a couple of very good saves, this they managed to do, however full credit must go to both teams who gave the watching 153 spectators a thoroughly entertaining Saturday afternoon’s football.       

 

Full Time:  FC Peterborough 1  Great Yarmouth Town 2.      Attendance: 153.

 

Great Yarmouth Town FC :  Lane, Halliday Duffield, Melo, Philpott, French, Fenn, Cantwell, Couzens, Sanders, Belmar.  Subs: Adams, Sanshaw, Spooner, Akpan.

 

Joint Man of the Match:  Aaron Sanders (GYTFC) and Atif Khan (FC Peterborough)