Posh Women Development Squad fell to defeat in the first round of the league cup.
A Depleted Peterborough United Women Development Squad suffered a 4-0 defeat to Arnold Eagles Women FC in the East Midlands Womens Regional Football League Cup under torrential wet conditions.
It was a cagey start to the game, but the first clear-cut chance came to Arnold Eagles’ number 10, who cut inside the box on the right before seeing her effort go wide of the post. Minutes later, Arnold Eagles threatened once again and Danni Cooper-King was forced to dive down low to parry the ball around the post.
On the half-hour mark, Arnold Eagles thought they had broken the deadlock as their forward directed the ball into the back of the net from five yards out, but it was correctly judged offside. On 35 minutes, Posh created their first chance of the game as Leah Barnes sent a diagonal pass towards Eden Bailey who advanced towards goal, but her dangerous cross was collected by the goalkeeper.
The opposition goalkeeper was called into action three minutes later when Alicia Podd fired a cross into the box towards Andreia Oliveira, who narrowly missed the ball. Posh were left rueing their chances as Arnold Eagles took the lead on 40 minutes as their forward turned in the box and fired the ball into the far post.
Arnold Eagles doubled the lead straight after the break as Brooker Harley was outmuscled off the ball and allowed the forward the chance to tap-in from close range. Aliyah Palmer could have reduced the deficit for Posh on 49 minutes as she advanced forward on the right, but her effort flashed across goal and past the post. Arnold Eagles extended their advantage on 55 minutes as the forward cut in on the left side, advanced into the box and curled her effort into the bottom right corner.
The rain continued to fall heavily in the second half, making it difficult for both teams to play the ball on the floor. It was four for Arnold Eagles on 85 minutes as their forward converted from close range.
Manager Shaun Harley said after the game: “We had 10 players missing for this game due to injuries and illnesses, so we’ve come here with a depleted squad who played in some tough conditions. The team that played today deserve a huge amount of credit. We won’t take anything away from Arnold though, they took their chances in the end. However, I do think the scoreline doesn’t give a true reflection on the game though, we could have had a couple ourselves. Now, its time to focus back on the league and continue our momentum from there.”
Posh XI: Cooper-King, Richards-Reeves, Wheatley, Barnes, Rider, Sharman, Podd, Oliveira, King, Bailey, Palmer.
Subs Used: Harley.