City’s last home game of the season and a former goat is in town. Peterborough United are the visitors to the Deva, managed by Darren Ferguson.
Vital Quotes:
“Peterborough are allowed to put big money in because they have the gates. Our chairman would have done it if we had the gates here. It’s just lucky that they get 5,000, 6,000 or 7,000 so they can do that sort of thing. They’re a good club and a lot of people around the place were very nice people.
“They’re a good club – a big club. They’ve spent a lot of money this season and brought in a lot of faces. When you spend that much, you expect to be up where they are.
“We expect a very, very difficult game. Probably as big a test as we’ve had in recent weeks.
“A lot of them (City’s youngsters) have been doing well but we’ve got to look and see if maybe they need a rest in games like this. It’s something we have got to look at.”
MARK WRIGHT
“Physical games are a way of life in this division and I have no problem with teams who play hard. It’s up to us to stand up to them and I believe I have a team that will be ready for a battle.
“Players like Alan White and Micah Hyde cannot be intimidated, while Craig Mackail-Smith isn’t frightened of anything. I honestly expect us to cope with anything Chester throw at us.
“They don’t have anything to play for, but knowing Mark Wright he will have his team fired up so we will have to match them physically before imposing our own game.
“I don’t expect anything other than a very hard match. That’s what this league is all about no matter who is providing the opposition.”
DARREN FERGUSON
Chester City Team News:
Skipper Phil Bolland is back from compasionate leave and is likely to start against his former club.
Kevin Sandwith will miss out through suspension after his red card against Boston last Saturday.
Simon Marples and Graham Allen remain in the treatment room and are unlikely to feature for the remainder of the season.
Player to watch: Paul Rutherford
The exciting youngster has penned a new contract at the Deva this week and his performances in recent weeks have apparently attracted the attention of Premiership scouts.
Peterborough United Team News:
Posh manager Darren Ferguson has almost a fully fit squad to choose from.
Aaron McLean and Guy Branston are ruled out with respective knee and calf injuries.
Danny Crow is available again after a knee injury whilst Micah Hyde is ok to play despite not training because of a sore achilles.
Player to watch: Craig Mackail-Smith
After adjusting to life in League Two, the 23-year-old former Dagenham & Redbridge man hasn’t looked back, netting 8 goals in 11 starts, including 6 in his last 5.
Match Facts & Stats
Recent encounters between the teams:
2006/2007 – 16 Dec – Peterborough 0-2 Chester City
2005/2006 – 26 Nov – Chester City 3-1 Peterborough
2005/2006 – 06 Aug – Peterborough 0-1 Chester City
1999/2000 – 06 May – Chester City 0-1 Peterborough
1999/2000 – 09 Oct – Peterborough 2-1 Chester City
1998/1999 – 13 Feb – Chester City 1-0 Peterborough
1998/1999 – 08 Sep – Peterborough 3-0 Chester City
Chester City losing only 1 of the last six, but drawing 4 of them. The goals for column just outweighs the goals against over this period, 5 to 4.
Peterborough have an average recent record on the road, picking up two good wins, but losing three, from the last six. The Posh’s have a narrow positive goal difference over these games, with 10 goals for and 8 against.
Chester City find themselves struggling down in 17th position in the league having picked up 52 points from their 44 matches. Peterborough lie just outside the playoff positions in the Coca-Cola League Two, picking up 63 from their 44 games so far.
Ref Watch:
London referee Danny McDermid will take charge of a Chester City match for the first time this season however, ha has officiated Peterborough games on two occasions this term.
He booked Mark Arber during Peterborough’s 4-1 victory over Bristol Rovers on the opening day of the season and Ben Futcher saw yellow in a 2-0 home defeat to Walsall on New Years Day.
In 25 matches this season, he has cautioned 83 players and shown the red card on four occasions including two Notts County players in an away defeat to MK Dons when County manager Steve Thompson described him as the worst referee he had ever seen!
Match Prediction:
A typically dour end of season game is on the horizon here in my opinion. Expect play-off chasing Posh to sneak away with a slim victory. (0-1)
Next Fixtures:
Lincoln City (A)
