Bristol Live fan columnist Joe Moon dissects Bristol Rovers’ 3-2 defeat away at Peterborough United
A 3-2 defeat away to Peterborough United may seem respectable at first glance, but the scoreline doesn’t capture the full story of a strange afternoon.
Frankly, there weren’t many positives to take away, except for an exciting burst of attacking play towards the end of the match. Although we were outplayed by Peterborough for much of the 90 minutes, we created several chances to level the score late on. Unfortunately, we couldn’t maintain that level of intensity throughout the game.
While a draw might have felt undeserved given the overall performance, the late chances created by Luke McCormick, Shaq Forde, Luke Thomas, and Gatlin O’Donkor offered a glimmer of hope. The introduction of fresh legs and a couple of well-executed goals gave the team a much-needed boost, but the first half and much of the second were marred by familiar issues: avoidable mistakes and ineffective long-ball tactics.
One of my frustrations is that we haven’t yet established strong on-field relationships. Our struggles to build cohesive attacking moves might be due to unsettled team selection, whether because of individual form, fitness concerns, or the gradual integration of new signings. After the debacle against Wigan, it was clear that changes were necessary, and the team that faced Peterborough had a different, more interesting look.
Jamie Lindsay’s inclusion in the starting lineup was a positive, following some solid substitute appearances, while Kofi Shaw’s full debut was a surprise given the circumstances. It’s always great to see a homegrown player in the blue and white, and while Shaw deserves game time, making his first professional league start away at Peterborough was a tall order.
It wouldn’t be fair to say the occasion overwhelmed the 17-year-old, but like many in the first half, he struggled to find time on the ball. Though he didn’t always seem in sync with his teammates, some of his progressive passing was promising. Our forwards had little opportunity to influence the game, with Peterborough effectively neutralizing our rare attacking moments in the first half.
Once again, the team’s setup was predictable and frustrating. We seem to adopt the same approach against attacking teams, and Peterborough executed their game plan with relative ease. Our long passes often bypassed the midfield, limiting the influence of players like Lindsay and Kamil Conteh, and leaving our forwards feeding on scraps.
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