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Saints U21s were well beaten in the first game of their Checkatrade Trophy campaign at League One leaders Peterborough United tonight.
After conceding two early goals – the third-minute opener from a corner and the second from the penalty spot – they left London Road with nothing to show from their opening game in group C of the Checkatrade Trophy’s southern section.
This was always going to be a tough examination for the latest batch of Saints youngsters.
Peterborough are flying high atop League One after winning their first four matches and made only a few changes from the team that won 4-1 away to Northampton Town, one of the other teams in their Checkatrade group, on Saturday.
It did not help that Saints conceded two goals in the first 21 minutes at London Road.
The ‘ABAX Stadium’ holds some happy memories from Saints journey through the Football League.
Saints won 3-1 on their last visit in April 2012, on their way to winning promotion from the Championship.
An early goal from Jos Hooiveld and two by Billy Sharp secured that victory.
The previous season, Saints drew 4-4 here en route to going up from League One. They led 2-0 and 4-2, with Rickie Lambert scoring twice, but had to settle for a point after conceding a penalty at the end of a helter-skelter afternoon.
But a decade after losing their last cup clash against Peterborough (Gregorz Rasiak netted at both ends in a 2-1 League Cup exit at London Road in August 2007), Saints U21s lost another.
They never really troubled Posh and Junior Morias did not help their confidence when he netted the first from close range after Will Wood conceded an early corner.
Jonathan Afolabi, Saints’ attacking spearhead, was denied by Posh keeper Connor O’Malley within a minute of the opening goal.
From the resulting corner, a near-post effort from Alfie Jones, with the outside of the captain’s right boot, was comfortably saved.
Having scored his third goal of the season, the lively Morias sent a couple of other efforts whistling past the left-hand upright.
Gwion Edwards was also twice off target as Posh pressed for a second.
Morias won a corner with a rasping cross-shot before Marcus Maddison doubled the home side’s advantage from the penalty spot, sending Alex McCarthy the wrong way in the 21st minute, after Ollie Cook was penalised for a foul on Idris Kanu.
Edwards continued to threaten down the right but Saints struggled to make any headway.
Callum Slattery had a rare Saints shot on target, a free-kick straight at Posh custodian O’Malley, and at the other end McCarthy dealt comfortably with Maddison’s inswinging dead ball from the left.
The rain teemed down throughout the first half at the end of which Posh produced the best move of the opening 45 minutes, zipping the ball across the turf with the confident air of a team in form.
It ended with Maddison skidding a low shot into the palms of McCarthy.
Tyreke Johnson’s inswinging left-footer into Johnson was quickly snuffed out by a Posh defence well marshalled by former Saints U18 captain Tafazolli. who spent four years at Mansfield before moving on last year.
Slattery had a cross blocked and the resulting corner was headed away by Tafazolli.
Even when Johnson got the better of the ex-Saint, the danger was thwarted.
Captain Jones had Saints best effort of the match at the beginning of the second half, when his half- volley from the edge of the area was palmed over by O’Malley.
The corner did not clear the first man but Cook was soon defending well for the visitors.
The pass of the match then set up Morias, who slipped on the turf in the goalmouth but managed to retain the ball, while surrounded by a phalanx of red-and-white shirts, before firing away a shot that McCarthy did well to save with his feet.
Tafazolli’s header was well saved by McCarthy, before Morias was applauded off ahead of Peterborough’s trip to Doncaster on Saturday.
He was replaced by Jack Marriott, who has scored six goals in Peterborough’s last three games, including a hat-trick.
Peterborough had already done enough, but continued to threaten after the introduction of their top scorer.
Marriott was in the thick of the action as McCarthy palmed aside another goal-bound effort, before missing a sitter when Jones gifted him possession.
He burst through after intercepting a pass, only to slide his left-footed shot the wrong side of the post.
After winning a corner, Marriott volleyed over from close range and Maddison’s deflected volley was also comfortable for McCarthy.
Excellent defending from Richard Bakary at least prevented a third Peterborough goal in injury time.
Next up for Saints in this competition is a trip to Cambridge United on October 3.
PETERBOROUGH: O’ Malley, Hughes, Tafazolli, Baldwin ©, Edwards, Forrester, Maddison, Morias (Marriott 62), Da Silva Lopes (Shephard), Kanu, Doughty (Anderson 62).
Subs not used: Tibbets (GK), Lloyd, Penny, Burrows.
SAINTS: McCarthy, Wood, Jones ©, Bakary, Cook, Johnson (Tella ), Slattery, O’Driscoll, Afolabi (Smallbone 90), Barnes (Obafemi 62), Little.
Subs not used: Rose (GK), O’Connor, Rowthorn, Klarer.
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