Dennis Kelmendi

Posh U21s beaten by QPR in the Professional Development League.

Peterborough United U21s were defeated 7-1 by Queen Park Rangers Development side on Tuesday afternoon at the Weston Homes Stadium in a Professional Development League fixture, with a number of under 18s involved.

The visitors started the game with blistering intensity, fashioning several chances within the first ten minutes. On nine minutes, QPR got a reward for their dominance as Charlie Kelman wrong-footed Posh’s trialist keeper with a grounded effort from the edge of the area. Rangers doubled their advantage on 15 minutes as left-back Ziyad Larkeche made a tricky run from deep and poked into the corner on the rebound after having his initial effort blocked.

The visitors’ third goal came from the penalty spot on 23 minutes after Steven Duke-Mckenna was tripped. Charlie Kelman stepped up and sent the ‘keeper the wrong way, adding his second goal of the day. 

The fourth goal for the visitors was added by Rafferty Pedder as he burst into the penalty area and left the goalkeeper with no chance after slotting neatly into the bottom right corner.

Posh began to grow into the game in the closing stages of the first half and pulled a goal back in injury-time as a brilliant cross to the back post was glanced well into the far corner by the head of winger Dennis Kelmendi. 

The second half began as an end-to-end contest, with chances falling for both sides in the opening ten minutes. Posh were using the pace and skill of Kelmendi as their output during first 15 of the second half, as the winger saw a lot of the ball. 

However, it was a half of very few chances. Posh’s trialist ‘keeper made an excellent one-on-one save on the 70 minutes before substitute Oliver Rose made an excellent block to deny the rebound.

The visitors added three more goals to their tally in the last ten minutes of the game. Stephen Duke-Mckenna struck a free kick excellently into the top left corner leaving the ‘keeper with no chance. 

On 83 minutes, an excellent strike from Rayan Kolli from the edge of the area found the roof of the net. Kolli doubled his tally just a few minutes later, cutting in from the right-hand side and firing the ball into the top left corner.

Posh XI: Trialist, Marcon (Rose, 59min), Bodnár, Challinor, Thomas, Dreyer, Unwin, Kelmendi, Winters, Chiha (Odei-Larbi, 75min), Kawa.

Subs Not Used: Sakalas, Gilbert, Changunda.

Written by Charlie Mclellan.