Posh U18s beaten by The Sky Blues at the idverde Training Ground.
It was a battling performance from Peterborough United U18s, but Siddall Riley’s goal in the second half condemned Jamal Campbell-Ryce’s side to a 1-0 defeat to Coventry City U18s on Friday afternoon in the Under-18 Professional Development League.
After a quiet opening 15 minutes of the game, with neither side failing to test the Coventry City goalkeeper, Torin Ntege forced The Sky Blues goalkeeper Dan Rachel into a small mistake as his attempted clearance ricocheted off Posh forward, forcing Rachel to scramble back to gather the ball.
The first opportunity for the visitors fell on 20 minutes as a free-kick from the right was cleared, but only to Callum Derry on the edge of the box, whose effort on the half-volley flew over the bar. Ntege switched the ball over to Dennis Kelmendi on the right-hand side, who flicked the ball over his defender before advancing into the box, but his left-footed effort was weak and comfortable for Rachel.
The Sky Blues looked to threaten in the closing stages of the first half as a low cross into the box was met by Siddall Riley, but the forward poked his effort wide of the target. It was a quick start from the visitors after the break as Siddall Riley looked to punish a slip from James Donnelly, but Laycock was out quickly to smother the ball.
At the other end, Kelmendi got the ball onto his right-foot and took aim from the edge of the box, but his effort flew over the bar. The Sky Blues broke the deadlock on 59 minutes as a corner caused a scramble inside the Posh box and Aiden Dausch was at the back-post to force the ball home.
Campbell-Ryce made his first change of the game on 60 minutes as Joel Odei-Larbi replaced Tyler Winters. It should have been a second on 67 minutes as Coventry City broke in numbers, Stretton advanced through on-goal and lifted his effort over a diving Laycock, but the ball bounced off the post and was cleared by the Posh defence.
Posh continued to push for an equaliser into the final minutes of the game as Bayley McCann, who was introduced for Josh Marcon on 90 minutes, sent an effort on the half-volley well over the bar.
Posh XI: Laycock, Bodnar, Dornelly, Toynton, Mills, Rose (Marshall, 68min), Marcon (McCann, 90min), Challinor, Kelmendi, Winters (Odei-Larbi, 60min), Ntege.
Subs Not Used: West, Gilbert.