Bristol Rovers 0-2 Peterborough United
Sky Bet League One, The Memorial Stadium, Saturday 20 April
Bristol Rovers closed out their home 2023/24 campaign with a 2-0 defeat to promotion-chasing Peterborough United.
The Posh grabbed the only goal of the game on 41 minutes. Joel Randall was in the right place to volley home from close range after a break down the left wing.
Matt Taylor’s men went close in the pursuit of a leveller, with Scott Sinclair and Antony Evans both testing the Peterborough defence, but the visitors secured their win with Ricky-Jade Jones’ flicked finish in the fourth minute of added time.
There was one change to the starting XI from Tuesday’s late win, as Jevani Brown came in for the suspended Chris Martin, and it was the attacker who found himself in a good position less than a minute into Saturday’s fixture. The No20 opted to try and find Luke Thomas rather than shooting, and the chance was cleared by the visitors.
Jed Ward had to be at his best to deny Posh from their first corner of the match, tipping away a chance, before Thomas’ deflected shot moments later almost wrong-footed Peterborough goalkeeper Jed Steer.
Darren Ferguson’s side picked up momentum and James Dornelly was inches away from putting Posh ahead midway through the half, but the away side would take the lead on 41 minutes.
A move down the left flank saw a cross come into the Rovers area, taking a small deflection off Elkan Baggott. Attacker Randall was in the right place to cushion home his finish from close range, putting the Gas behind at the break.
Rovers stepped up the pressure and intensity in the second half, with captain Evans volleying a wicked effort on goal just four minutes in. Steer was in the right place to keep the ball out of the net.
A huge chance was then created by Sinclair, skipping inside onto his stronger right foot. The experienced winger did not get a strong enough connection with his shot, sending it straight at the Peterborough goalkeeper.
Aguilera pulled a shot wide from distance before manager Taylor made a triple change, introducing Luke McCormick, Harry Vaughan and Jack Hunt into the fray. Excellent work from Vaughan just moments after coming on almost forced an equaliser, as his pressure won back possession before Evans' fierce drive stung Steer’s palms.
But the Gas could not find the goal their second-half efforts merited, with the Posh securing all three points thanks to their second finish, scored by Jones’ late on.
Bristol Rovers: Ward, Hoole (Hunt 73), Taylor (Connolly 6), Baggott, Vale, Rossiter (Conteh 52), Evans ©, Aguilera (McCormick 73), Sinclair, Thomas (Vaughan 73), Brown
Subs not used: Hall (GK), Gordon
Booked: Thomas, Hoole
Peterborough United: Steer, Burrows ©, Edwards, Knight, Clarke-Harris (Jones 70), Randall, Ajiboye (Mason-Clark 70), Mothersille, Kyprianou, Collins, Dornelly (Katongo 63) (Crichlow 84)
Subs not used: Bilokapic (GK), De Havilland, Wakeling
Goals: Randall 41, Jones 90+4
Booked: Knight
Referee: Tom Reeves
Attendance: 8,714
