You can say it is bad luck, but after four costly errors so far this season, it is perhaps not a bad thing for either the club or the player to have a change in goal and allow him to re-establish his confidence away from the spotlight.
Coach Fernando Da Cruz has backed Petersen as his number one, but patience among the fans was wearing thin and, had the injury not occurred, it would have been interesting to see how the situation developed.
His errors have been varied too, suggesting a few issues with his play: one positional misjudgement, one failure to attack an aerial ball, one clearance under pressure and one near-post set-piece error.
Against Lamontville Golden Arrows in the MTN8 quarter-final, Petersen was caught out by a speculative cross-cum-shot from Khulekani Shezi.
Shezi drove into the right side of the penalty area and sent a low ball across goal, but Petersen appeared to anticipate a cross rather than a shot and was badly positioned as the ball crept inside his far post, where a goalkeeper should never be beaten.
It proved to be the only goal of the game and ended Chiefs’ MTN8 campaign.
Against Mamelodi Sundowns in the league, Khuliso Mudau sent a long ball into the penalty area and Grant Kekana headed it back across goal.
Petersen was slow to react and failed to attack the dropping ball, allowing substitute Cassius Mailula to get there first and head in the equaliser from close range.
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Versus Richards Bay, also in the league, Petersen received a backpass inside his own penalty area but took too long to deal with it as Nqaba Xulu closed him down.
When Petersen eventually tried to clear, Xulu blocked the kick and the ball rebounded into the net to give Richards Bay the opening goal.
And against Polokwane City this past weekend in the league, Giovanni Philander delivered an in-swinging corner towards Petersen’s near post.
The goalkeeper appeared to misjudge the flight and somehow helped the ball over the line for an own goal.
Two of these across a season would be poor. But four in seven games suggests he is badly out of form and low on confidence.
In instances like this, it is often best to take the player out of the situation and allow him to regain that form in training before putting him under the spotlight again.
It does the player no favours when he is low on form but placed under the increasing glare of the fans’ discontent.
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