Late drama as Peterborough Sports complete impressive comeback and a Christmas double over Bishop's Stortford

Sports triumphed in a National League North game filled with drama, which saw them trail 1-0 and 2-1 before their opponents were reduced to 10 men.

A sensational free-kick from defender Matt Tootle, his second goal in two games, and a Hayden Cann header dragged Sports, level but even when they thought they had snatched victory in the 89th minute thanks to a Mark Jones header, they conceded a penalty from the very next attack and were indebted to Peter Crook for saving the effort of Mbunya Alemanji.

With their visitors still flying forward, substitute Jordan Nicolson was allowed the space to fire home a flowing counter-attack to finally seal the three points against a struggling side who showed a lot more quality than their position at the foot of the table suggests.

Six points in the space of five days against the same opponents has shot Sports up to 13th in the standings, just four points off the play-off places and eight clear of King’s Lynn in the final relegation place, although there are some fixtures involving teams who didn’t play today on New Year’s Day.

After a low key start when Sports dominated the ball, but failed to translate it into any efforts at goal, the visitors took the initiative and could have been ahead in the 23rd minute when Ryan Charles beat joint boss Michael Gash - who lined himself up at centre-back - on the right and fired a shot at Crook. The Sports keeper pushed the ball away ,but only as far as Kane Crichlow, who put his follow-up effort straight at Crook when it looked easier to score.

Just minutes later, Sports were breathing a sigh of relief when Alemanji unleashed a brilliant effort from 40 yards out that clattered back off the corner of post and bar. Charles fired just wide before Sports finally woke up and fashioned a chance of their own.

On the half hour mark, Dion Sembie-Ferris was sent in one-on-one by a flicked on goal kick. Visiting ‘keeper Jack Giddens came racing out of his goal to put pressure on the forward who managed to lob him with the ball drifting just wide.

Sembie-Ferris was the one looking most likely to find the breakthrough for Sports and he almost did in spectacular style after 37 minutes when he turned his marker and charged on a run that covered half the length of the pitch. He cut into the box but again, fired agonisingly wide of the post, from a tight angle this time.

Just as Sports had looked to have found their rhythm, they were stunned by an Alemanji effort that he buried in the bottom corner from 25-yards out after 41 minutes.

The response was quick from Sports though who equally stunned their visitors when Tootle unleashed a brilliant free-kick from close to 30-yards out right into the top right corner in the second minute of first half stoppage time.

They almost went ahead just two minutes into the second half when a speculative from Hugh Alban-Jones shot hit the top of the bar.

Stortford, however, went straight down the other end and restored their lead through Darren Foxley, who fired into the far corner from the left-edge of the box.

The frantic start to the second half wasn’t over yet though as Sports broke away just a minute later only for Jones to be dragged down on the edge of the box by Mark Haines. There was little hesitation from the referee to send the defender off for a last man challenge.

Sports made their extra man count within minutes when Cann rose highest at the backpost to head Dan Lawlor’s cross across goal and into the bottom corner of the net after 55 minutes.

Things did not come easy for Sports as their visitors had the better of the play following the red card until the final 10 minutes when Sports ramped up the pressure.

That pressure told with just a minute or normal time to play when Jones stooped to head in a Lawlor corner. Yet, with the home crowd still celebrating the comeback, Bishop’s Stortford kicked off and led an attack right into the Sports box where Ryan Charles was bundled over.

Alemanji stepped up to take the penalty looking to claim his second goal of the afternoon, but Crook guessed right and made the save.

Sports then hit their hosts with a sucker punch of their own with a break from the corner that came about following the penalty save and Nicholson showed brilliant composure to slot past the on-rushing keeper and complete an impressive comeback.

Sports are next in action at 18th placed Banbury United next Saturday (January 6).

Sports: Peter Crook, Hayden Cann, Michael Gash, Ashton Fox, Matt Tootle (sub Kaine Felix 68 mins), Hugh Alban-Jones (sub Oisin Gallagher 85 mins), Dan Lawlor, Josh McCammon, Dion Sembie-Ferris, Ben Fowkes (sub Jordan Nicholson 79 mins), Mark Jones

Not used: Ryan Fryatt, Cuba Meyer.