great start mate good luck
i will be following this definately.. i support peterborough as well.. UTP!
Thanks for the replies, more updates to come shortly!
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Tuesday 6th May 2010
I had just been training with the reserves and youth side so had no time to change from my tracksuit gear that I had been wearing. I rolled up to the ground in my car and got out to look at the ground, after all it could be the last time that I ever see the ground as an employee again.
I walked into reception and said hello to all the friendly faces before I was called up to the boardroom by none other than Barry Fry. ‘Darragh will see you now, fella’. his voice echoing around the reception of the stadium. I nodded at him and followed Mr Fry upstairs and to the boardroom, somewhere I had never seen within the stadium and didn’t know if this would be the ideal time to start seeing it.
I was told to take a seat opposite the man in charge of the success of this club. He was sat in his chair, look out the window meaning he had his back to me. ‘The club needs you.’ He said to me and then paused I was unsure of what he meant by this and what he was trying to get at. ‘Yesterday my club was relegated from the Championship and as I am sure you will understand I am far from happy at this and now I need to start looking towards the future and how I am going to get straight back out of League One.’
Again Darragh paused as he thought long and hard about what he had to say, my eyes completely fixed on the back of his head as he then turned his chair around to look at me. ‘The club needs someone to take control of the side now as Jim Gannon has made it clear that he will not stay on to help us next season.’ The puzzled look on my face must have been easy to see as I was still completely unsure of what Darragh was trying to get at. ‘The club needs stability and above all needs a manager in that will be putting the interests of the club first. I know who I want in and that is why you’re here today, Tom’
The puzzled look began to fall from my face and there must have been the slight hint of a smile appearing on my face. ‘A lifelong fan. How do you feel about promotion from Reserve Team manager to the First Team manager?’
‘I….I Would be honoured!’ I said as I tried to hold back the feeling of sheer joy, better than any day I have ever had in my life so far, don’t go telling your wife that though, she will kill you I thought to myself.
‘I thought you might say that. You will be instated as the manager from the 20th of June, meaning Mr Gannon will complete his final games with us and you then get a break from reserve team management to look at the best way possible to take the team forward. You may now leave, a contract will be discussed on the 19th of June before you meet the press on your first official day.’
I could not wipe the smile off my face. ‘Thanks for the opportunity Mr MacAnthony I won’t let you down.’ I made my way to the board room door and got to the bottom of the stairs. I headed for the doors to leave the ground but turned around asked the staff in the office ‘Can I go out on the pitch, please?’ with a huge smile on my face they nodded at me.
I made my way to the tunnel and walked out and applauded the imaginary crowd. This was it I said, as I stood in the technical area. What a feeling I thought to myself, as I turned and headed back down the tunnel.
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Saturday 19th June 2010
The day had arrived for me to cement my future in Peterborough United history, hopefully as a successful manager and not a failure. I had faith in myself I had worked hard for this getting all my coaching badges and having been at the club for a while this was the break I needed.
I woke to my alarm at seven in the morning I rolled over to kiss my wife but she wasn’t there, I heard the kettle the toaster pop from the kitchen beneath me. I got up and threw on some lay about bottoms and my Posh top, kissing the badge once I had pulled it over my head. Don’t ask it was just my normal lucky thing to do but, well, it hadn’t been all that lucky last season!
I made my way down the stairs, my wife had got my suit, not worn in about 7 years, our the cupboard and had made sure it was creaseless for the meeting ahead today with the main men at the club. She turned as I entered the kitchen and said ‘Well good morning Mr Manager and what can I get you for breakfast.’ She perhaps had a bigger smile on her face than that was on mine, maybe because she was happy she might have some more money to spend. I let out a little laugh at that thought and said ‘I will get my own honey, just sort yourself out.’
I sat down at the table to open up my laptop, a story had gone up on the Peterborough United website last night saying the announcement of the new manager would be tomorrow, well today as I am reading now. I let out a little smile again at the thought of seeing myself on the home page of the website.
I got up and put on the kettle. ‘Do you want a tea Lucie?’ I asked. She nodded. I stood and looked out the window. Before the kettle boiled. I made the tea and sat down again. My phone rang.
‘Tom can you get here for ten, come in through the family stand as the press are all over the main entrance to the stadium.’ It was Mary in reception, always did look out for me.
‘I can be there for ten Mary’ I said, ‘I will also come through the back way to the ground, is there any press around there?’
‘If there is it will only be your local papers and television stations that know it is there!’ She laughed and said ‘See you in a little while’ and put the phone down.
I got to the ground and went through the back way. I was greeted by a familiar face at the gate well two actually. My good friend Dom Fincham who was a part of the Peterborough United commentary team for Radio Cambridgeshire now. He looked at me and just said ‘Is it you?’ I didn’t need to say anything for him to be on his phone to the producer of the radio station. ‘It is Tom Jeffries, the new manager is Tom Jeffries. Reserve team manager, lifelong Peterborough fan,’ He said. He hung up and walked over to me and extended his hand. ‘Good luck man, looks like we will see more of each other than usual!’ I laughed and shook his hand.
I followed the other familiar face Posh fan Adam Jackson, now press officer of the club, to the board room. Before I had even sat down Darragh put a contact in my face. ‘£1,500 a week for two years and if you get us promoted within those two seasons you will be given a four year extension.’ £1,500 was what I was earning a month now. Darragh went through everything and then I signed on the dotted line, I was now the manager of Peterborough United.
The press conference went will but in truth I hardly remember it. I am still on a high and now the real fun starts with me needed to shift the deadwood and bring in some players that will aid us to, my aim, top spot in the league.
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Tuesday 6th July 2010
This was it then. My targets had been identified and it was time to go out and get them. I had been given a healthy £1m transfer budget by the chairman but the minimum aim was to gain promotion in one of the top two spots. Not to hard I thought to myself. The previous manager has already agreed deals for Grant McCann in on a free from Scunthorpe, James Wesolowski from Leicester, again on a free and finally young talented Lee Tomlin from Rushden in the Conference for £150k.
My squad certainly is a talented one and one that will push all the way to the end of the season but there needs to be some additions. I will look at the loan market first because I believe that to be the best way to go about things. The less we are spending on wages the better because the club is so often let down by awful attendances. For a city of its size, getting 6,000 a week on average is a poor standard to attain.
The BBC wanted to speak to me I think I came across pretty well in my first real media interview. I have been lying low since the press conference just keeping myself to myself. First pre season friendly on Saturday against Cambridge United at the Shabby, sorry I mean Abbey Stadium. I need to get my manager head on now, not my fans head.
Page last updated 6th July 2010 10.14 UK
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Jeffries To Add To Sqaud
Peterborough United Manager, Tom Jeffries, has made it clear that for his side to mount a challenge this season for the title he needs to add some more players to his ‘talented side’
Jeffries who has been manager at Peterborough less than a month has already assessed who is in his plans and not because of having worked as the reserve team manager for around four seasons now. Jeffries told us, ‘it is clear to me that there are some players here not up the challenge and I will look to move them on as quickly as possible. The problem we are finding though is of course that we are not getting the offers that we believe match the valuation of the players in question.’
‘We will never sell a player for less than what we believe the player is worth and this is something that we must strive to make sure happens repeatedly.’
Exodus Geohaghan is thought to be in the list of players available for transfer only having been at the club for around seven months. The defender came into the side when Mark Cooper joined for his short tenure in charge at Peterborough.
‘Exodus is surplus to requirements and he knows this.’ Jeffries told us here at the BBC. ‘He is capable of playing a decent game but with to many quality centre backs already at the club it looks to me like he will not feature in my plans.’
One thing is for sure though, Jeffries will want to keep hold of the ‘holy trinity’ as their fans call them in the shape of George Boyd, Craig Mackail-Smith and Aaron McLean who never fail to impress for the League One outfit. Jeffries admitted that they are key to his success this season.
‘Of course they are important to how we want to play and not only that they are fan favourites. All three want to do well for the club and would never intentionally play badly. If someone came in with a stupid offer for them then we would let them go and wouldn’t stand in their way but of course this is all hypothetical as nothing has happened to see that they are taken away from us at this stage.’
Jeffries however said he would not comment on who he was chasing because he wanted to make sure nobody else was putting in an offer for the same players. He did however say he wanted to pull up some trees and shock the Peterborough fans into want he want to achieve at this club.
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Friday 9th July 2010.
You are probably wondering what the Leicester City shirt is doing in this update, well I have just had an offer accepted from them for a player, all be it on loan, who will act as fantastic cover for the main two strikers in the side.
He is on his way to the ground now, the said player is being pushed out of the Leicester side with the new owners taking place at the club and he is not looking like being a part of that. He has played in the Premier League and has scored goals wherever he has been.
‘It is fantastic to see you here, Mr Howard. Please take a seat’ I say as Steve Howard enters my office. That is right, Steve Howard, 34 year old striker who takes no prisoners. For a me a statement of intent as to what I want to do with the club. Posh fans may not be happy he spend three seasons at Northampton Town though, but we will keep that one quiet and hope that nobody realises!
An agreement has been reached with Leicester where I will pay half of his wages, well the club will, whilst he is here with us but he can not be recalled by Leicester even if they are struggling for fit players in their side, Bonus!
In other news we will be playing Rotherham at home in the Carling Cup first round. A tie that we should be looking to win with no question!
Page last updated 9th July 2010 09.34 UK
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Howard Signs For Peterborough
Steve Howard has today made his move to Peterborough United on loan for the season after he was deemed surplus to requirements at parent club Leicester City.
‘Their loss is our gain.’ Jeffries started by saying. ‘Steve has been on my radar for a while and as soon as I knew he would be available to join us on loan it was a no brainier for me to get him to join us here at Peterborough. He scores goals wherever he goes and he will add something to the team that we don’t already have available.’
Howard, 34, had only been available for a short period of time since he was made available for transfer away from the club. Jeffries admitted that he would have like to sign him permanently but the wage demand would have been to high for the club.
Steve has seemingly been around forever and he said that Peterborough was a side he admired for having little resources but seemed to be able to make a good account of themselves. ‘They were unlucky last season in the Championship, they started badly and when you start that way sometimes it is hard to get out of the losing cycle. Everyone has a chance to start again now and I am pleased to have been given the chance to be a part of this.’
Jeffries told us that there were plans to bring in more players on loan but the ones he is after are all contracted to Premier League sides.
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Saturday July 10th 2010
Well there is nothing like sticking one over your rivals is there. Okay, okay it is only a pre season friendly but we have come out 5-1 winners over Cambridge United. A vintige display and no injuries to worry about either. Mclean with a hatrick and that man Steve Howard joining him in the scoring!
A superb display from the side and one that we probably could have won by more. A nice figure of 567 away fans also, nice for a pre season friendly anyway.
Another player I wanted to sign on loan was at the game watching how the side played and if he would be interested in joining. We had a bid from his parent club Villa accepted on Thursday and I was hopeful that we could get this all wrapped up quickly before anyone else started sniffing around him.
He joined me after the game when I was doing an interview post match for the clubs internet tv show and told me that he would be joining the side. A deal which saw him unable to be recalled, no wages paid from us and it was a season long loan.
‘Welcome to the club, Shane Lowry’ I said as I took the new signing into the changing room post match. The players greeted him well and I was pleased to have him on board.
Page last updated 10th July 2010 18.43 UK
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Lowry Signs As Posh Thrash Rivals
Shane Lowry has joined Peterborough United from Aston Villa on a season long loan stating ‘I can’t wait to get started’
The Villa youngster who has been loaned out to get some first team experience has been on the radar of many clubs with no firm offers before Peterborough swooped in to get the youngster in their clutches of the season.
‘You only have to watch him play to see his quality.’ Jeffries told us, ‘he is a great player with a great future ahead of him and we are just pleased to be a part of his development. He can play on both the left and in the centre of defence and he will add something to what I believe to be the main weakness in the squad.’
Lowry watched on as he new club hammered a hapless Cambridge United by five goals to one in the first of Peterborough’s pre season games. Lowry said ‘It was pleasing to see just what my new team mates can do and that is something I definitely want to be a part of. I am just pleased to be given the chance at some first team football and that is what I want to be doing. I love football and although being at Villa is nice you want to be playing and proving yourself so I have to thank the gaffer here for giving me that chance.’
Aaron Mclean scored a hatrick in the game at the Abbey Stadium and he told us that Tom Jeffries had them playing in the right way. ‘He is showing he has great ideas and ability to take us all the way to promotion this season.
‘We all want to forget what happened last season in the Championship and we hope to get back there at the first time of asking. The new gaffer plays a very attacking game so we look to get as many goals as possible and with the signing of Shane, our defence looks like it will hold up even better than it already does.’
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Sunday 11th July 2010
More good news on the signing front. Yet another defender has come in on loan, this time a right sided one and to cap it all off, from giants, Liverpool. I have invited the player down to training today and he said he would be here. He picked up his training kit from the club this morning I have been told and he would be at our training ground soon.
We continue to train in the same way that we always would do until the new guy arrives. The boys look on fire and are really training well. I get a tap on my shoulder ‘Hi boss, sorry I am a little late.’
‘Martin, pleased to have you here with us.’ I say extending a hand. ‘Don’t worry about being a little late, the boys have only just started, go on and join in the coaches over there will give you the idea of what the lads are doing at the moment.’
I look on as Martin Kelly of Liverpool joins in with the training. Again a season long loan from his parent club and more options in the middle and the right side of defence. Martin has pretty much made everything a whole lot more solid at the back.
I look around towards the car park and there he was. The final loan signing that I had bid for, the centre back that had offers much promise. Jordan Spence. Successful loan spells and Leyton Orient and last season at Scunthorpe have caught my eye on him and the 20 year old West Ham player would be sure to add some strength in the tackle to us.
He too offered his sorry for being late but I actually had no idea he was coming. Now it was time to sure up the midfield a little and maybe, just maybe we would have the strength in depth needed to score a champions place in League One. I let out a smile at that thought and called all the lads together to introduce the new signings.
Page last updated 11th July 2010 10.23 UK
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Kelly and Spence ‘It Is Great To Be Posh‘
Martin Kelly has today swapped Merseyside for Cambridgeshire, by making a move to Peterborough United on a season long loan. And Jordan Spence joins Peterborough from West Ham.
Both of the youngsters are relishing the opportunity of first team football but Jeffries admits that despite their talent they must fight for a first team place just like everyone else. ‘Both have incredible ability but like everyone else they must earn their place. If they are not playing to full potential then they will be kept out of the side by someone who wants to, it is as simple as that.’
Martin Kelly has been looking for games as he is very close to breaking into the Liverpool side and has been on the bench for some big games in the past. ‘This deal suits me, Liverpool and above all Peterborough. I just want to be playing my football and this means I get my chance to prove to Liverpool just what I can do.’ Kelly spoke of his new sides chances to impress this season and he said. ‘I am sure that we can prove many people wrong, many say just play offs as the aim but the gaffer has already said that this will not be good enough and we have to aim higher. It is great to have someone in charge with so much belief.’
Jordan Spence, pictured above in blue, has also said that he hopes the club can push on this season and he wants to be a part of that. ‘They had a tough time of it last season and the team now needs to push on. I am happy to be here and I want to contribute a lot. Of course this depends on my performances and I hope I make them good enough for the manager to give me my chance on a weekly basis.’
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Wednesday 14th July 2010
We played Leicester at London Road this afternoon and despite a 2-1 loss, either side could have taken it. Mackail-Smith got on the score sheet for us and after the game we had an enquiry for his availability which we, needless to say, turned down.
We need to have all our best players here and firing on all cylinders to be able to reach the heights that we expect to be able to and if we sell one of the best players that the club has and probably is in the top 20 of the best ever seen then we are just going against everything that we want to make happen.
Mackail-Smith came to see me after the game to discuss if he was leaving or not as he knew about the interest from several Championship clubs. I told him that we are looking for about £1.2m at the present time for him and that he may have to sit tight because the more he scores this season the harder it will be for teams to take him off us. He laughed and said it was nice to feel valued.
Him and Mclean would be the pinnacle to how we plan and we need them to be firing on full cylinders to keep us up at the top for the full season. A marathon not a sprint they say, but I don’t believe in that. You make your own luck and if you want to be at the top for the full season then you can do it.
I went home after this game to relax and actually spend some time with my wife who has been having to really do much on her own for the past week or so with the club becoming my main priority. We order a film from Box Office and sit back with a Chinese ordered from the local restaurant. Lovely, just the way that it needs to be.
Page last updated 14th July 2010 19.30 UK
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Posh Show Promise Despite Loss
George Boyd and Craig Mackail-Smith were instrumental in everything that Peterborough did well after a disappointing but well fought loss at London Road this afternoon.
Despite the away side taking the lead through Fryatt and really running the show for the first half an hour, Peterborough began to show the form that got them to the Championship in their last League One campaign but couldn’t find the back of the net before half time.
Until the 53rd minute it stayed that way when Boyd put a delightful through ball into the path of Mackail-Smith who wasn’t going to miss that chance. ‘It was a actually a shot I scuffed,’ Boyd told us, ‘although it ran perfectly into Craig’s path who stuck it away with no question.’
‘We are going to need some finishing like that to be there at the end of the season as we all want to finish as Champions, the gaffer has told us that we can do it and we all believe in our abilities again.’
‘Last season was one to forget and I hope that everyone in the side can pull together to make this another memorable one. Nobody wants to have a relegation on their CV so we must work hard this season to make sure that we add another promotion to it.
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Wednesday 21st July 2010.
Well a lot has happened in a week! Exodus has left us, thank the gracious lord! He is awful and someone I could not wait to get off our hands! We drew with Bristol City at Ashton Gate and in truth we should have won. Boyd was the start of the show yet again and now he is wanted by Bolton and West Ham. No bids or inquires for him yet though so they are not monitoring the situation.
To put it simply though Boyd will not be going for cheap and anything less than £2m and he will still be a Posh player. I am a firm believe in I would rather let the player go for free than see them leave the club for less than the valuation. He has a contract till 2013 and he will honour that. He has told me he doesn’t want to leave just yet anyway.
Tommy Rowe has attracted interest from a number of teams in the Championship but the only one to make a bid was Palace and at £150k this was not enough to tempt us to sell him. He asked to leave after that and I told him to buck his ideas up because nobody is bigger than the club. He apologised the next day.
Last Updated: 21st July 2010
Jeffries Finding It Tough To Sign Players
Whilst the playing squad at Peterborough is a talented one, Tom Jeffries is looking always to add more talent to the squad to keep it strong and up for a challenge. Speaking after his sides 1-0 defeat to Clyde this evening, Jeffries tells of how it is hard to find the right deal for the club.
‘Since the new owner came in a few seasons back it has been one price for us and a completely different price for everyone else and I am feeling the brunt of this now. There are a number of players attracting my interest but if we can’t agree a fee I believe to be right for the club then we don’t sign the player, it is as simple as that.’
Jeffries has thought to have been after Grant McCann’s Northern Irish counter part Dean Shiels who is a big part of the Doncaster side but Jeffries believes he could entice anyone to come and play at Peterborough.
‘What isn’t there to love about the place, the ambition is amazing and you will be playing with some of the best players that Championship through League 2 has to offer. It shows great ambition for the club to be signing such players as McCann who will be a big part of the side this season but we need some other players who can play with him.’
Saturday 9th August 2010
With no more signings made it is a simple case of going with what I have got. I had a £400k bid agreed for Dean Shiels but he wanted to much money to join me. I will not bow down to players demands, if they want to join then they must want to be at the club for the right reasons and money isn’t one of them.
Today though we are to entertain Swindon at London Road and a first chance for the players to really show how good they are and what they are capable of doing. I know what they can do but it is up to them to show that on the pitch today.
A crowd of around 7,000 is expected, still not good enough for the city of this size but who am I to complain I remember when the gates were less than 4,000 for some games so there is a crowd slowly coming back to watch us.
The starting line ups were in and it was time to face Swindon Town. Hopeful of a win with my definite striking ability but you just never know.
Page last updated Saturday 9th August 2010 17.23 UK
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Location - London Road Stadium
Attendance - 8,640
Peterborough United slot 3 past Swindon Town at London Road as Jeffries sets up a perfect start as new boss.
It was a great start for the Cambridgeshire based side as they saw a second minute effort from McLean ruled out for offside but they just carried on from where they had started with wave after wave of attack. They continued to press until Mackail-Smith scored just shy of the half hour mark. It was a lovely finish to the left of the Town keeper who could do nothing about it.
‘It was nice to get on the score sheet this afternoon,’ Mackail-Smith told us. ‘I am more pleased for the gaffer who set us up in a very open formation that we have been able to get the win for him. It puts us on the front foot from the off and that showed with the early strike from Grant (McCann) ruled out.’
Mclean and Whelpdale scored after the break to give Peterborough a 3-0 lead before the two were taken off for a rest, presumably with the Carling Cup game at the back of the managers head. Mclean said ‘I was eager to impress because the gaffer has made it clear that if we aren’t at the races then we will not be in the side. It keeps is all on our toes and makes us work harder to get the performance he is looking for.’
Alan Sheehan scored in the last few minutes for Swindon which they perhaps did deserve but there was no hiding that the performance was on that could have been better than what was shown. Manager Danny Wilson said, ‘We were not awake from the start and created next to nothing in the first half. Lucky for us the first goal scored was offside as I think we could have been on the wrong side of a pasting. Peterborough have shown the rest of League One that they mean business scoring 3 of their 4 clear chances on goal.’
‘When you have players of the Mclean and Mackail-Smith quality then you know you will get goals and when you have Steve Howard on the bench who can come on and change a game a different way who will also score you know you have a game on your hands.’
Wilson also commended the 700 Swindon fans that made the trip to Peterborough and thanked them for their support through the game.
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I am ecstatic with today’s showing and we certainly deserved our win. Have a look at these stats.
‘Well done son’ I turn around to see my dad behind me as I leave the stadium. I forgot I had driven him in.
‘Thanks dad, I told you I could do a better job’ He let out a little chuckle as we got in the car. I started her up and set about the short journey home.
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Monday 9th August 2010
Page last updated Monday 9th August 2010 12.12 UK
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Jeffries Looks Forward To Cup Tie
Tom Jeffries expects a Peterborough United win when his side faces Rotherham in the Carling Cup tomorrow night at London Road, but knows that it is not as straight forward as it seems.
Jeffries admits that the Swindon game was a great start for his side and that it gives them confidence going into the Rotherham game. ‘We played well against Swindon and now we have to take that form into the Rotherham game. I am not looking at changing to much of the side by may spring a surprise or two, dependant on how I feel I want to play the game at Tranmere this weekend.’
‘It is going to be a tough game, Rotherham are no slouches. They have a great forward man in Le Fondre who can cause anyone problems on his day and hopefully it won’t be his day tomorrow night. We have the firepower to match them though and if not better them and we need everything to go our way to get the win.’
Ronnie Moore, firm favourite with the Rotherham faithful, knows that this game will be a tough one for his League Two side. ‘We have a chance,’ Moore said, ‘but we know it will be a tough one. If it was at home I would fancy our chances more but this is the cup and anything can happen.’
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That will give the media something to think about I thought, as I drove home to settle in for the night. The wife was out for the night with her friends so this meant I had the chance to play a bit on Xbox without being told off. FIFA? I think so, West Brom lets start a career and relax out with a beer. The lads have the day off tomorrow because the game is in the evening. Looking forward too it! Round two here we come!
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Wednesday 11th August 2010
Page last updated Wednesday 11th August 2010 22.32 UK
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Peterborough are into the next round of the Carling Cup with a performance that was much more clear than the score suggests.
Tommy Rowe who was on the left of midfield to replace George Boyd who had a slight knock that Jeffries did not want to risk proved to score the match winner just two minutes into the game. ‘I was pleased that the gaffer gave me a chance. I have been working hard in training and I wanted to prove myself tonight.’
‘It won’t be easy to try and keep a player of Boyd’s quality out the side but I have to try and do that to hold down my place. A goal has to go in my favour but at the end of the day it is up to the gaffer how he wants to play it and if I don’t feature in certain match day plans then that is the way it is to be.’
Jeffries made several changes to his side but that didn’t upset the way Peterborough played and that made it difficult for Rotherham, four of their seven shots happening in the last five minutes as Peterborough tired and could have thrown the game away. Ronnie Moore conceded that Jeffries had made sure his team were up for the game and that it made it hard for his side to get going.
‘Peterborough stopped us playing today and in truth perhaps should have had more goals before we even got going. However whilst it was at one nil you just never knew, there was always that chance for us to get back into the game but it just wasn’t to be.’
Jeffries himself praised his teams performance, ‘It was better than the Swindon performance but yet we only got the one goal. Football is a funny game. We worked hard for the win and I thought we might throw away what we had done in the last few minutes but we held on to the win and that is what counts. A clean sheet and a win in the cup what more can we ask for.’
The draw for round two was conducted after the games tonight and the games to look out for are as follows:
Stevenage v Doncaster
Plymouth v Stoke
Stockport v West Ham
Carlisle v Fulham
Blackpool v Hartlepool
Newcastle v Brighton
Reading v Peterborough
West Brom v Bristol Rovers
Cardiff v Cheltenham
Wigan v MK Dons
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Sorry the update has come a day after the game, I decided I would tie it in with the draw for the next round and wow, what a draw it is. Reading away, that is sure to test us. We will have to be at the races to beat such a side of that quality but the lads seem up for it and I have had a few good luck texts from friends and family. I think I might need it!
