Dreadful day for Peterborough Sports as National League North relegation fight tightens up

They went down 1-0 at Farsley Celtic after missing a late penalty and other results went against them. Sports are now just two points, but four places, outside the relegation zone,

Sports host Farsley in a speedy return match at PIMS Park on Tuesday (April 9, 7.45pm). They have three games to go.

Lillianna Armstrong reports from Farsley…

With just 3 games left of the 2023/24 season, Peterborough Sports find themselves in a bit of dogfight near the relegation places with a number of sides battling for survival. A crucial double header with Farsley Celtic in the space of 3 days began with the away game first with Sports hoping to bring something back from Yorkshire to help ease their worries.

There were a couple of changes to the XI that started the win against Gloucester City on Easter Monday with Matt Tootle and Cuba Meyer coming in to replace Lincoln City loanee Elicha Ahui and Josh McCammon, who picked up a slight knock in Monday’s win, respectively. Sports were also without centre-back Ryan Fryatt through suspension and striker Kaine Felix through injury however, there was a place on the bench for club captain Mark Jones who recovered from an injury he suffered in the defeat to Warrington Town at the end of March.

It was soon evident that the wind was going to play a big part in the afternoon’s events with both sides struggling to control the ball from goal kicks. Despite playing into said wind, ‘The Turbines’ dominated the vast majority of the first half and had the better of the chances. Several Dan Lawlor corners were floated in with some causing more danger than others.

On 18 minutes, Meyer put in a decent cross from the left hand side which found the head of Michael Gash, but Farsley keeper Zan-Luk Leban did well to deny him from close range. In one of few chances for the hosts in the first half, Darren Stephenson fizzed a shot just wide of Peter Crook’s far post after Sports failed to clear the danger.

Sports continued to have the better of the possession, but the tempo fell flat as we headed towards the half time interval. However, on 44 minutes, Sports had their best chance of the half when a header from Cambridge United loanee Brandon Njoku looked destined for the back of the net, but somehow Leban grabbed it on the line in the nick of time to deny what was a certain goal.

With the wind in their backs during the second half, Sports had the opportunity to capitalise on their domination of the first half and look to put away their chances however, the second half was the complete opposite. There were few chances for both sides as the game tightened up, but Farsley had the better ones.

The breakthrough came on 67 minutes when Michael Coulson rose highest at a corner and headed home to find the bottom corner. Sports were thrown a lifeline on 90 minutes when Dan Jarvis went down in the area and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Dan Lawlor stepped up, but his effort hit the post and ran out of play. Moments later there was a brilliant chance for Rory McAuley to get Sports level, but he sliced his close range effort over the bar.

Sports: Peter Crook, Matt Tootle (sub Matty Miles 71’), Connor Johnson, Rory McAuley, Ashton Fox (sub Mark Jones 90+2’), Cuba Meyer, Dan Lawlor, Dan Jarvis, Hugh Alban-Jones (sub Josh McCammon 80’), Michael Gash, Brandon Njoku. Unused Subs: Sydney Pereira and Kellan Hickinson.