Posh blow chance of early promotion: Tweaking small details allows for Donny comeback

Like so many other leagues around the globe, EFL League One is reaching its climax, with teams looking to secure promotions or safety from relegation. This week, we saw Peterborough United go one step closer to confirming their promotion from League One to the Championship in an entertaining 2-2 draw against Doncaster Rovers. Rovers were flying high in the division until a couple of months ago. Now, Andy Butler’s side have won just once in their last 13 games, and while qualifying for the play-offs is still a mathematical possibility, it is extremely unlikely that they will achieve that this campaign. In recent years, Donny have been able to perform well against Peterborough, becoming somewhat of a bogey team for Darren Ferguson’s team. This tactical analysis will put a scope on the tactics used by Posh that allowed them to take an early 2-0 lead, as well as how they looked to regain that lead later in the game. Meanwhile, we will provide an analysis on where it all went wrong for Rovers to go 2-0 down, but what eventually clicked for them that enabled them to claw the game back to 2-2.

Lineups

The home side went with a 4-4-2 shape, with a strike partnership that has 44 goals between the pair in League One this season – Sammie Szmodics and former Doncaster loanee Jonson Clarke-Harris. Wide support came from Joe Ward and Siriki Dembélé, who has 10 goals himself this season too, and Jack Taylor partnered Louis Reed in the middle of the park. From right to left, the back four consisted of Nathan Thompson, Frankie Kent, Mark Beevers, and Dan Butler. Joe Bursik, who had a loan spell at Doncaster earlier this season, was between the sticks.

Player-manager Andy Butler started in the back four again for Doncaster, alongside Tom Anderson, with Joe Wright playing as a makeshift right-back, and academy product Branden Horton playing at left-back. Fellow academy product Louis Jones continued his impressive season in goal. Jason Lokilo and Josh Sims, on loan from Premier League outfit Southampton, operated as the wingers with Reece James and Matt Smith, on loan from Manchester City, in the engine room. Omar Bogle partnered Fejiri Okenabirhie, who is Donny’s top scorer this season with 11 goals, lead the line for Rovers.