[NoSkillz]

Sat. February 22, 2025

FA Cup - 5th Round
Peterborough United (7th in npower Championship) vs. Dover (2nd in Barclays Premier League)
London Road, Peterborough, UK

Betting Odds: Peterborough United: 4-1 Draw: 5-2 Dover: 4-7 (Favourites)
Past Meetings: 5W 2D 0L

We have a pretty extensive history against Peterborough, having faced them six times in League 1 play in addition to an FA Cup tie back in 2019. We haven’t lost in any of our previous seven match ups and I don’t expect that to change today. Peterborough gained promotion to the Championship from League 1 back in 2018, one year after we moved up from League 1, and they’ve been there ever since. They were a mid-table side until last year, when they finished fifth but lost out on promotion in a playoff finals loss to Burnley. Peterborough is just outside the playoff positions right now, a single point back of QPR. Striker Dave Lomax leads the club with 14 goals from 32 appearances. Bernard Dunn plays DM for Peterborough and he spent one year at Dover on loan back in 2016/17 during our League 1 days.

We have a huge mid-week Champions League match against Atletico Madrid in Spain but I’ll be starting a number of first teamers, most of whom are struggling somewhat. Chiquinho, Arsene Bamba, Benedikt Raab, Renato Gaucho, Claudio Contreras and Salim Loucif will play today. In big news, 18 year old striker prospect Alberto Velazquez will make his first ever senior team start today!!! The kid has an absurd 49 goals in non-competitive play so far this year (U18 and reserves games) and deserves a chance to play. We’ll have Manuel Lugo on the bench, just in case.

Dover: 4-4-2 Control
GK - M. Perez
D - Renato Gaucho, C. Contreras, M. Mutesa, S. Loucif
M - A. Bamba, B. Raab, A. Rocca, L. Kunchev
S - A. Velazquez, Chiquinho
Bench - Rafinha, S. Nasri, E. Harvey, N. Cairney, M. Pedersen, G. Allan, M. Lugo

Peterborough are playing a very defensive 4-1-4-1 formation with a single striker in Lomax and Olivier Vannucci at defensive midfield. Jason Steele is their keeper. Lets play well for our fans today!

19’ - A failed Andrea Rocca corner sees the ball come back out to him and his cross is to the far post and a wide open Arsene Bamba, who heads the ball forcefully into the net past Steele!

HALFTIME - We have a significant edge on the stat sheet but I’m not impressed with our performance here, as there seems to be too much individual effort as opposed to team work. We hold a whopping 66% of the ball and a 10-2 (1-1 on target) shot advantage. Too many poor shots from distance so far. I encourage the team in the dressing room.

60’ - I’m not getting much out of young Alberto Velazquez today so I bring in Manuel Lugo to hopefully help get us an insurance marker.

63’ - Peterborough have a free kick at the midfield stripe and make three short passes before sending a great pass to their lone striker Lee Smith, who just replaced Dave Lomax. We gave him entirely too much room and Smith takes two steps into the box and fires a bullet past Perez and it’s IN. Here we go again! PETERBOROUGH GOAL 1-1

66’ - We have possession off the ensuing kick and eventually work the ball into the area. It’s a 50/50 ball between their keeper and Manuel Lugo that looks to be won by the keeper but Lugo is tripped on his way to attack it and the referee points to the spot! That’s a PENALTY! Up steps Benedikt Raab as the crowd whistles in protest and he makes no mistake! DOVER GOAL 2-1

Peterborough move into a 4-4-2.

72’ - I bring in Emmerson Harvey for Andrea Rocca.

90’+3 - We’re in the last minute and it’s been a bit of a nervy finish here, as Peterborough have had a few set piece opportunities. We clear out a free kick attempt and a long ball is sent up field to Lugo. He draws two defenders toward him as he approaches the area and then lays off a pass to the oncoming Chiquinho, who is unmarked and has all day to slot the ball into the empty net. DOVER GOAL 3-1

We’ll take the win.

Peterborough 1 - 3 Dover
Goals - Arsene Bamba (7.8), Benedikt Raab PS (7.5), Chiquinho (7.6)
Assists - Manuel Lugo 2 (7.4), Andrea Rocca (7.2)
Man of the Match - Arsene Bamba
Other Dover Notables - Salim Loucif (7.0), Mwemere Mutesa (7.1), Claudio Contreras (7.3), Renato Gaucho (7.0)
Attendance - 14,336

Well, I would have preferred a much more convincing win but we’ll take it. We held 58% of possession and a 28-5 (5-3 on target) shot advantage. Chiquinho’s goal was his 20th of the season.

-- We earn £184,000 for the victory.


U18 Update

-- With star U18 striker playing for us in the FA Cup, the kids had to make due without their best player but still won 5-0 over Brentford. Midfielder Joshua Stokes scored a hat trick and we got singles from the superlative Felix Hernandez and Neil Evans to round out the scoring.



FA Cup - Quarter Finals Draw

-- There’s only one non-Premier League team left in the final eight and that’s Southampton, who draw Spurs as their opponent. We get a home tie against Liverpool and I’m delighted, as it gives us a chance at redemption for that ugly 3-1 loss from a couple weeks back.



Injury Update

-- Some positive news, as both Zoltan Bardi and Gianluca Bolis are nearing a return to training, with both players about two weeks away. No such luck for Paul Moses…



U18 Update

-- We defeat Manchester City’s youth team 4-2 to win the U18 Cup for the second year in a row and for the third time in four years. We get two more goals from Alberto Velazquez and singles from Neil Evans and Freddie Laird.

-- Velazquez gets hurt in the match and will miss the next three weeks with a groin strain.



Next Up

-- We are off to Spain and have a tough match in the first knockout stage of the Champions League against Atletico Madrid.