Peterborough Sports crash back down to earth with a bump

Just a few days after toppling National League side Dagenham & Redbridge away from home in the FA Trophy the city side were beaten 2-1 in a National League North game at struggling Gloucester City.

It was a game Sports should never have lost. After Dan Lawlor’s penalty equaliser midway through the second half they took control of the game only to lose to a late sucker punch in the 88th minute.

Even after Danny Wright’s match-winning header, Sports had chances to get back on level terms, most notably in the first of six minutes added time when Josh McCammon blazed over the bar after the home goalkeeper had made a superb save to thwart late substitute Michael Gash.

There was still time for the ball to fall kindly for Dion Sembie-Ferris inside the area, but his shot was deflected wide.

Sports had started the game slowly, although they came under little pressure before conceding a 42nd minute goal to Brandon Smalley, despite losing key centre-half Connor Johnson early in the game.

Sports were a different beast after the break. Full-back Matt Tootle came close twice in the first six minutes of the second-half, while Sembie-Ferris was denied a goal by a smart save in the 65th minute.

But a minute later a foul on substitute Ben Fowkes gave Lawlor the chance to equalise from the spot and it looked like Sports would go on to win the game.

Hayden Cann promptly headed a Lawlor corner just over the bar, but it was Gloucester who found the decisive moment to secure just a fourth win of the season.

Sports have dropped a place to 19th, but remain three points above the relegation zone ahead of a tough trip to third-placed South Shields on Saturday.

Sports: Peter Crook, Matt Tootle (sub Jordan Nicholson, 83 mins), Hayden Cann, Connor Johnson (sub Ben Fowkes, 17 mins), Ashton Fox, Cuba Meyer, Dan Lawlor, Oisin Gallagher, Josh McCammon, Kaine Felix (sub Michael Gash, 77 mins), Dion Sembie-Ferris. Unused subs: Hugh Alban-Jones, Sidney Pereira.