City 0, Peterborough 2

GRAHAM Westley was still perspiring when he strode in to face the post-match press.

The Posh boss needed to mop his brow – but you could argue that his new team had hardly needed to break sweat to protect his winning start at Valley Parade.

No wonder Phil Parkinson was so pointed in his criticism about City's half-hearted response to falling two goals behind in as many minutes early in the second half.

While Sheffield United had picked themselves up to recover a similar deficit against the Bantams six days earlier, the hosts were unable to find something similar when the boot was on the other foot.

Parkinson was annoyed by the lack of urgency; more alarming was the veiled reference to a lack of stomach for the battle when the going got tough.

This was a major backwards step for a team whose season had seemed to be building momentum after their poor start.

Saturday was flat, insipid and lacking in drive, spirit and a real determination to have a go; all those ingredients that were displayed in abundance during that pulsating Yorkshire derby.

The only hint of that against Peterborough came in the opening moments of the second half. Briefly building up a head of steam, City forced four back-to-back corners and Ben Alnwick made a fine save to keep out a Steve Davies header from one of them. That was as good as it got.

Davies had come on before the break to replace the unlucky Paul Anderson, the latest addition to the injuries that have beset the Bantams since pre-season.

First Filipe Morais, then Billy Clarke, Chris Routis, Josh Morris and now Anderson – and just at a time when the winger looked to be showing glimpses of his true form after his most influential outing yet against the Blades. How's yer luck?

Parkinson opted for Davies rather than raw winger Dylan Mottley-Henry as his immediate replacement, restoring the substitute to a role where he had started his career with Tranmere.

It brought mixed results – but then City's crossing from both sides was poor all match. Mark Marshall, so effective the game before, had an afternoon to forget.

Davies is yet to win over the City support and Saturday won't have changed the doubters. He might have gone closest to finding a breakthrough with the header but he also air-shot in front of goal as he tried to turn on a Billy Knott pass ten yards out.

That fluffed opportunity drew groans from an increasingly jaundiced crowd. But to his credit, Davies did not hide. He kept trying to do something even if it did not come off.

A few around him could have done with taking a leaf out of his book – a fact not lost on his manager.

"Davo has come to the club and is desperate for that (first) goal," said Parkinson.

"He was very unfortunate to have one disallowed at Fleetwood and then on Saturday he had a header hit the post.

"Things are not going for Davo at the moment. The supporters know that – we all know that.

"But at least he's put himself in where it hurts to try and get a goal. He showed the desire to get in there.

"He's almost trying too hard, not in trying to get a goal but in his all-round play. He's running with it maybe when he should pass at times.

"But that's his determination. He's got a point to prove and he's trying everything he can to do it."

City v Peterborough match pictures

City's front two were anonymous. Ricardo Santos kept James Hanson out of the game; Devante Cole seemed almost reluctant to get involved.

Hanson did at least have the only home effort on goal in the first half. Marshall for once put a ball on the money but the striker's well-timed header was from far enough out for Alnwick to get across and save.

Other than that, the big targetman was a peripheral figure as Peterborough kept a tight lid on him.

Hanson's header aside, the opening period was a tedious watch – in entertainment terms, certainly not worth the £5,000 that Posh owner Darragh MacAnthony apparently pays each game to have it beamed live to his Florida home.

But as the Irish multi-millionaire convalesced across the pond following a kidney stones operation, City never looked like adding to his discomfort.

MacAnthony could reflect on a good piece of business securing Westley, despite the many reservations within the Peterborough fanbase.

The new manager's campaigning e-mail to supporters following their muted reaction to his appointment had pledged 600 passes and 25 shots a game.

The visitors may not have delivered on that front but there was a clear Westley stamp about their approach, particularly the gamesmanship as players slowed the contest down at every opportunity and got in the ear of the referee just as his Stevenage team before had.

The official, Paul Tierney, did City few favours by not clamping down – but he was not the reason for such a tame demise.

Peterborough struck when it mattered with two goals two minutes apart after the break.

Souleymane Coulibaly had a hand in both as City failed to check his runs into the box.

From the first, he set up Marcus Maddison for a shot through traffic. Brad Jones must have seen it late but reacted well to block, only for Lee Angol to tap in the rebound ahead of James Meredith.

Posh struck again from their next attack. Coulibaly was given all the time in the world by Rory McArdle to get off a shot and when that came back off Stephen Darby, Chris Forrester beat Jones' laboured dive inside the post.

There was still a good half hour to rectify their mess but City looked to have given up the ghost.

Davies had their best sight of goal but missed altogether as he tried to swivel on his shot and there were a couple of undignified scrambles around the six-yard box.

But the closest opportunity of another goal came at the other end, where Angol should have buried a free header.

So just when City looked to be finding some answers, an unsatisfactory afternoon threw up a load more questions.

Attendance: 17,970