Peterborough Sports couldn’t quite make it a double celebration for manager Jimmy Dean, great escape by Stamford AFC, fine win for Spalding United, important draw for Whittlesey Athletic, but defeats elsewhere for local non-league clubs as Peterborough North End fall foul of some poor officials

Dean became a father for the fourth time on Friday before racing down to Banbury to see his side take on the Southern Premier Division Central leaders. He arrived half an hour before kick off.

He looked on course for more joy as Josh McCammon’s 30th minute goal gave Sports the half-time lead, but this host hit back with two goals in three second half minutes to pinch a 2-1 win in front of 939 fans.

Dean gave a debut off the substitutes’ bench to former Posh striker Brad Rolt after taking him on loan from National North League side Brackley. Current Posh youngster Andrew Olawabori didn’t play after a 90-minute performance for Posh Under 23s on Thursday.

“It was a tight, even game, similar to the Coalville one,” Dean said. “But unfortunately it was us on the wrong end of the result this time. I do feel we’re not miles away though and we should have a few big player back within the next 3 weeks.”

Fourth-placed Sports need to finish in the top five to contest the end-of-season play-offs. They are now just three points clear of sixth-placed Alvechurch, but they have three games in hand.

Stamford AFC’s play-off place in the Northern Premier Midlands Division is looking more secure, but they had to deliver a dramatic late great escape to claim a point from a home game against Cambridge City. City led 2-0 entering the 90th minute at the Zeeco Stadium, but goals from Jon Challinor and Harry Vince rescued a point in a game watched by 410 fans.

Spalding United did the fifth-placed Daniels a favour by winning 2-1 at fourth-placed Belper. Ben Starkie and a Greg Smith penalty secured the impressive win.

Wisbech Town’s new manager Allan Ross saw his side launch a thrilling late comeback at home to Daventry, but it ultimately proved fruitless. The Fenmen were 4-0 down with 20 minutes to go, but goals from Rodrigo Goncalves, Danny Draper and Avelino Vieira almost delivered an unlikely point.

Yaxley were crushed 5-0 at home by Coaliville and there was a clean sweep of local United Counties League defeats for Deeping Rangers, Holbeach United, Blackstones and Bourne.

Peterborough North End went down 3-2 at the University of East Anglia and are now just three points clear of the bottom two in Thurlow Nunn Division One. The city side felt they were in the rough end of some match-defining decisions.

John Yambusu fired North End ahead, but goalkeeper Connor Barker was then sent off for allegedly denying a goalscoring opportunity with the hosts equalising from the subsequent free kick. Nathan Smith gave the 10-men the lead after the break, but UEA levelled within two minutes and went on to win the game after North End felt a home player had been spared an obvious red card after tripping Harry Grigas when clean through on goal.

Whittlesey drew their promotion battle 1-1 with Norwich CBS at Feldale Field.

James Hill-Seekings grabbed his 24th goal of the season to fire Athletic in front, but the visitors equalised two minutes later.

RESULTS

February 26

Southern League Premier Division Central: Banbury 2, Peterborough Sports 1 (McCammon).

Northern Premier Midlands Division: Belper 1, Spalding 2 (Starkie, Smith); Stamford AFC 2 (Challinor, Vince), Cambridge City 2; Wisbech 3, Daventry 4 (Goncalves, Draper, Vieira), Yaxley 0, Coleshill 5.

United Counties Premier Division: Newark 4, Holbeach 1; Skegness 3, Deeping Rangers 1 (Brown).

United Counties Division One: Blackstones 0, Kimberly Miners Welfare 5; Clifton All Whites 3, Bourne 1.

Thurlow Nunn Division One: UEA 3, Peterborough North End 2 (Yambasu, Smith); Whittlesey Ath 1 (Hill-Seekings), Norwich CBS 1.