Steven Whittaker happy with Fleetwood’s ability to grind out another crucial win

Feb 14, 2023 2 min read
Steven Whittaker & Scott Brown
Steven Whittaker & Scott Brown

Fleetwood assistant manager Steven Whittaker was delighted with the team’s ability to grind out another crucial win as they made it three victories on the bounce in all competitions by beating Peterborough 1-0 in League One.

The Cod Army’s second successive league win came courtesy of Promise Omochere’s first-half goal, moving them seven points clear of the relegation zone.

It follows a 2-1 victory over Charlton on Saturday and an FA Cup replay success over Sheffield Wednesday, all of which came on the back of five games without a win.

And Whittaker is mightily impressed that the players keep rising to the challenge.

“We asked the players to go again,” he said.

“It’s a tough schedule.

“Probably not as well as we wanted to play within the game, but it’s good that the players still found a way to take the points, so that’s the most pleasing thing from tonight.”

Peterborough pressed from the start and were within inches of taking the lead when Jack Taylor’s long-range effort was tipped onto the woodwork by Jay Lynch.

It was Fleetwood who went in front, though, in the 20th minute, with Phoenix Patterson crossing to Omochere to head in at the back post.

Jonson Clarke-Harris had a chance to level for the visitors on the half-hour mark but his header from Nathanael Ogbeta’s centre was off-target.

Peterborough continued to search for an equaliser in the second half, with Taylor’s effort drifting wide of the far post in the 61st minute after Ephron Mason-Clark had sent a low cross into the box.

But it was not to be for the Posh as they fell to a second successive league defeat, following a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Bolton on Saturday.

Manager Darren Ferguson was pleased with his side’s performance but was left to rue their lack of cutting edge in front of goal.

“In terms of how we dominated the ball it was exactly how I want the players to play,” he said.

“I knew I’d get a response from Saturday’s heavy defeat – they gave us one.”

Reflecting on the winning goal, Ferguson felt his side should have defended it better.

“It’s a terrible goal, it’s a really soft goal,” he added.

“We’ve played into an area we didn’t have to.

“We should have worked our way outside because they weren’t letting us through them at times.

“And then we’ve got to defend the cross far better.

“It’s too easy a goal and we don’t get many of those.

“But we responded and we started the game so well.

“We were so dominant, causing them all sorts of problems on both flanks.”

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