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Can Imps avoid a cricket score?
By Nathan Jackson March 27 2008
After conceding 5 at Barnet, City will now travel to a side that are 10 times better than Barnet and will hope to avoid an absolute thrashing at the hands of Peterborough United. The Posh are already guaranteed a shot at promotion, whether it's securing automatic promotion or getting it via the Playoff places, and City will do very well to come out of London Road with a point.

I'm not going to make any bones about it, Barnet aren't a good side. Barnet aren't a side that shouldn't be scoring 5 against anybody and yet they stuck that many past the Imps. It was just ridiculous last Saturday, the only thing that was missing was Lee Ridley laying out a red carpet as he was rounded time after time after time. Now the Imps face a side that in theory should defeat the Imps by a mile.

Last season's trip to London Road was controlled by the Imps. Peter Gain's goal for Peterborough was the only decent chance they had and that came in between two shock Amoo goals. Anyone expecting a repeat will be mistaken as now the roles are reversed. This time Peterborough are the team that are playing the best football in the division and Lincoln are the midtable team heading no-where.

The Imps are in the middle of a first team crisis. Despite Lee Frecklington returning from injury for the reserves, it is unlikely he will feature on Saturday. He is just one of 3 central midfielders available, the other two being Scott Kerr (suspension) and Jamie Hand (out on loan). That could make this the youngest City midfield in history. It is highly likely Pembleton will be gifted his first start due to the suspension of Kerr. If that happens then the age of the midfielders will be 17 (Pembleton and LJL), and 20 (N'Guessan and Clarke), an average age of just 18.

Marriott is unlikely to be challenged by Duffy in the goal. He will have Ridley, Green, Brown and Hone trying to protect him with Wright and Forrester up front for City.

Well, Peterborough United, where do you start? I'm actually going to start by defending them. Yes, money buys better players, there's no debating that, however, money DOESN'T buy performances. The FACT about Peterborough United's players is that if they didn't care then it would be irrelevant how much they cost because they'd be worthless.

You don't win promotion based on how much money you spent. Look at the 2002/3 season for example. Lincoln's squad was far from expensive, infact the only player who cost any money in the 16 that went to Hull City that season was Ben Sedgemore, and he cost just £10,000. Hull City had several players who cost money, those players were Marc Joseph (£40,000), Justin Whittle (£50,000), Damien Delaney (£50,000), Lawrie Dudfield (£250,000), Ryan Williams (£150,000) and Stuart Elliott (£230,000) played for Hull that day. So that's £10,000 vs £770,000, score - 1-0 Lincoln.

The reason for that was that Lincoln simply wanted it more. That's the reason Peterborough are doing as well as they are. Yes, Keith Alexander spent crap loads of money of Boyd, MacLean and Mickail-Smith, but without passion those players would be worthless. That's why Peterborough deserve promotion, not because they brought it, because they WANTED it more than everyone else.

Anyway, Peterborough are on a huge unbeaten League run that stretches back to a shock defeat to Macclesfield on January 12th. They followed that up with an 8-2 spanking of Accrington and have only failed to win three of their 14 games since. Anyone who thinks that isn't an impressive run is a fool.

Man for Man they have one of the best squads outside of the Premiership. It's hard to single out a dangerman simply because they have so many. Aaron MacLean certainly can't be overlooked. He has continued a run of strikers who flopped at Orient to only then succeed after leaving. George Boyd is arguably the best midfielder in League 2, not to forget that Chris Westwood and Dean Keates have both secured promotion from this division with 2 teams. Both gained promotion with Walsall last season, Westwood's other promotion came with Hartlepool and Keates' came with Hull.

It's hard to look past a Peterborough victory for this game and I feel that we could be in for a thrashing.

 

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