Posh Eric!

Monday, August 13, 2007

After the collective disaster on the opening Saturday, Bialkowski could have been looking forward to joining us in Peterborough's splendid pubs as there was not much chance of his retaining his place.

That was until Davis reported sick, so Bartosz was still in goal. He wouldn't have expected a clean sheet after the defence's poor showing against Palace, but equally he couldn't have imagined Rasiak putting the home side's first goal past him - this came from a 20th minute corner that the keeper had covered until our goal poacher's instinct got him to the ball first.

Rasiak had been looking sharp at the other end too, while Skacel soon came close to an equaliser with a free kick that came back off the bar.

Messrs. Skacel and Wright had been drafted in as replacement full backs, but Skacel was frequently caught out, including in the mess that led to a second Posh goal, although there wasn't a lot of assistance from Bennett and Makin either before Boyd scored. Rasiak netted for Saints after a turn of pace from Dyer opened up the Peterborough defence, and it was a more difficult finish that it may have at first appeared. Why the Pole was not allowed more time to continue to make amends whilst Wright-Phillips struggled is unclear, but he was substituted by Saganowski on the hour.

Although the replacement Pole did very little to justify the change, even the present poor Southampton line-up should have done more to turn their second half pressure into clear chances. Saints thus became the first English side to be knocked out of a domestic cup this season, and I suspect the next disappointment is only a few days away as well.

LSSC Man of the Match: Grzegorz Rasiak. Well, who knows when we'll next have someone scoring twice in one game?

Saints: Bialkowski, Wright, Bennett, Makin, Skacel, Dyer, Licka (McGoldrick), Safri, Surman (Vignal), Wright-Phillips, Rasiak (Saganowski).