Cambridge United suffer derby defeat to Peterborough United

U's produce encouraging performance in Posh loss

Cambridge United gave a good account of themselves only to lose 2-0 at home to Peterborough United in the Checkatrade Trophy, Southern Group H.

It was difficult to tell that there was a division’s difference between the derby rivals in their first competitive fixture for 16 years, but it was second-half goals from Steven Taylor and Jack Marriott that gave the League One side the edge.

It was an end-to-end first half, with both sides going all out for goals.

Peterborough’s Ryan Tafazoli had the first chance of the half, shooting over on the turn from just inside the area.

The U’s first chance fell to Uche Ikpeazu but his effort was easy for Posh keeper Conor O’Malley, and as the half wore on, the opportunities got better.

Some great one-touch football led to Ikpeazu firing across goal from the six-yard box, and Paul Lewis reached the ball from an impossible angle at the back post, but he was only able to turn his effort straight back across the goal line.

Play swung up the other end, and Peterborough’s Danny Lloyd smashed a fierce shot across the face of goal.

Jack Marriott thumped a vicious shot on the turn that was saved low by Dimitar Mitov, and Leonardo da Silva Lopes should have done better with the rebound.

And then the U’s almost broke the deadlock as O’Malley got a fleeting touch to Lewis’s powerful drive to turn it over the bar.

The hosts’ Greg Taylor had the final chance of the half, with his effort from just inside the area going through a mass of bodies only to be turned wide low down by O’Malley.

Peterborough broke the deadlock in the 50th minute.

Michael Doughty hit a fierce drive from the edge of the box that Mitov saved, but the rebound fell to Marriott whose effort across the goal was bundled in at close range by Steven Taylor.

The goal did not knock United off their stride though, and they were the dominant force for the next 20 minutes.

Leon Legge shot wide at the back post, substitute Harrison Dunk fired an effort across goal that only just evaded a sliding-in Ikpeazu and then O’Malley did well at point-blank range to thwart Ikpeazu’s header.

It was Peterborough though, that got the deciding goal in the 81st minute.

A swift counter-attack saw the ball moved to Marriott inside the area, and his first-time effort went in to Mitov’s left-hand post.

After the second goal, the match had gone from a Cambridge United perspective, but despite the defeat to their rivals, they should be relatively pleased with their performance.

Cambridge United: Mitov, Halliday, Taylor, Legge, Carroll, O’Neil, Lewis, Elito, Brown, Maris, Ikpeazu.

Substitutes: Dunk (Maris, 59), Ibehre (Brown, 59), Worman (Ikpeazu, 82). Not used: Iron, Davies, Foy, Howkins.

Peterborough United: O’Malley, Baldwin, Taylor, Tafazoli, Da Silva Lopes, Grant, Doughty, Edwards, Maddison, Lloyd, Marriott.

Substitutes: Hughes (Da Silva Lopes, 69), Anderson (Maddison, 82), Kanu (Edwards, 82). Not used: Bond, Shephard, Forrester, Chettle.

Bookings: Cambridge United – Lewis (foul, 55); Peterborough United – Edwards (foul, 64).

Referee: Gavin Ward.

Attendance: 3,138 (away 1,123).