MATCH PREVIEW: Peterborough Sports (A) | Southern League Challenge Cup

 



After another weekend off, AFC Rushden & Diamonds return to action with a midweek trip (Tuesday 5th) to Peterborough Sports in the Southern League Challenge Cup.

The two clubs are entering the competition at the First-Round stage after receiving a bye from the Preliminary Round.

Andy Peaks’ side come into the match off the back of their first defeat in five matches and the Diamonds manager will be looking for a reaction from his team.

 

How are Peterborough Sports getting on?

The Turbines have enjoyed a successful start to the season and sit at the summit of the table with seven wins from eight games. In addition to this, they have recently progressed to the 4th Qualifying Round of the FA Cup following wins over Haringey Borough, Great Wakering Rovers and AFC Dunstable.

Sports are the top scoring side in the division with 25 goals from their nine league matches so it will take a monumental defensive shift to keep them at bay.

Last five: WWWWW

 

Can the Diamonds halt the Turbines train?

It is no secret that Jimmy Dean’s side are surfing on an incredible run of form, but there is evidence to suggest they can be susceptible to runners in behind. Peterborough Sports commit lots of bodies in the attacking phase, they push the full backs onwards and hold a very high line – a structure which caters for progressive and dynamic football however this leaves sizeable gaps to exploit in between the defenders and in their own half of the field.

Although their previous fixture versus Sports ended in vain, Diamonds found a lot of joy in behind the full backs and created plenty of opportunities stemming from the wide areas in their August meeting.

In acquiring the likes of Connor Furlong and Ravi Shamsi, Diamonds have recruited pacey wide players who are capable of latching onto flick-ons and exploiting space in behind defences.

Defence will be the primary objective for the Diamonds as they travel to a free-scoring Peterborough Sports side but if Andy Peaks’ team can play out quickly when they win the ball and hit the hosts down the channels, they are more of eliminating their opponents from the cup.

Last five: WDWWL

 

Previous Meetings

Fixtures between these two clubs seem to come at a premium, particularly when you consider the geographical locations of the sides.

The only two meetings took place at Hayden Road and both resulted in victories for Peterborough Sports (1-5 in the 2020/21 FA Trophy, 0-1 in the 2021/22 Southern League Premier Central).

 

Where is the match taking place?

AFC R&D will travel to Lincoln Road for the first time as they meet their Peterborough opponents at the Bee Arena. The upcoming third meeting will also be staged in a third different competition following matches in the Southern League Premier Central and FA Trophy.

Southern League Challenge Cup ties are played on a single leg basis therefore if the scores are level after 90 minutes, the winner will be decided by a penalty shootout.

Bee Arena

Lincoln Road

Peterborough

PE1 3HA

 

How can I follow the match?

If you are unable to attend the match on Tuesday, I will be there alongside the Radio Diamonds team to bring you live commentary as the action unfolds. You can also keep tabs on the match via the club’s official Twitter feed (@AFCRD).

You can find the post-match reaction by watching the interviews on AFCRDTV and reading the match report.

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