Miller at the double as Peterborough Sports complete back-to-back National League North wins
Luca Miller scored twice as Peterborough Sports secured back-to-back wins in National League North.
Sam Straughan-Brown was also on target as Sports beat Bedford Town 3-1 at PIMS Park. Two home wins in four days with six goals scored and just one conceded has moved Sports two places and two points clear of the relegation zone.
It’s all certainly a fillip for the city side who have a daunting trip to leaders South Shields this Saturday (November 29).
Sports took the lead against Bedford in the 12th minute when Straughan-Brown threaded a shot through a crowded penalty area into the bottom corner, but the visitors were level four minutes later. Tyrone Marsh was the scorer claiming his 16th goal of the season after pouncing on a through ball from Peterborough United loanee midfielder Joe Andrews.
Most of the action for the rest of the half took place near the Bedford goal with big centre-back Kevin Joshua heading a Connor Wood free kick onto the roof of the net before Straughan-Brown and former Posh striker Shaquile Coulthirst tested the visiting ‘keeper.
But Miller took charge of matters in the early part of the second-half. There was a touch of good fortune about his first goal on 52 minutes when Ben Beresford mishit his shot at goal following a Wood cross, but the ball ran kindly for Miller who fired home. And two minutes later Miller’s precise drive from inside the area found the bottom corner to give Sports a two-goal cushion.
Miller wasn’t far off a hat-trick with a 25 yarder which grazed the top of the crossbar, but Sports cruised home anyway with substitute Mark Jones and Wood coming close to further goals.
Sports: Crook, Powell, Oakley (sub Mensah, 62 mins), Joshua, Wood, Felix (sub Davies, 76 mins), Whitehouse, Straughan-Brown (ssb Faakye, 76 mins), Miller, Coulthirst (sub Jones, 71 mins), Beresford (sub McLintock, 93 mins).
Unused subs: Edwards, Cadogan.
Spalding United and Stamford AFC secured narrow, but very important for different reasons, 2-1 home wins in the Southern Premier Division Central.
Spalding remain second in the table after seeing off Bury Town in a game that caught fire in the final half an hour. Bart Cybulski slid home from close range after excellence from Alfie Bendle and Jack Roberts, but the visitors levelled 10 minutes later through Alistair Conway.
But Roberts was the architect of a second Spalding goal 13 minutes from time as substitute Dion Sembie-Ferris converted his cross. Spalding remain a point behind unbeaten leaders Harborough Town who beat Redditch United 2-0 last night. The leaders also have two games in hand.
Stamford’s surprise success against Kettering Town at the Zeeco Stadium wasn’t enough to take them off the bottom of the table, but they did reduce the gap to safety to 11 points. Kai Tonge was the matchwinner for ‘The Daniels,’ with two goals, the second from the penalty spot, just five minutes after Kettering had equalised his splendid individual goal in the first half.
Second-placed March Town missed a chance to go top of the United Counties Southern Premier Division by drawing 1-1 at Moulton. Rio Henson had given ‘The Hares’ a first half lead.