Peterborough Sports hit the play-off places as remarkable season continues

Mark Jones celebrates his goal for Peterborough Sports against Farsley Celtic. Photo: James Richardson.

Peterborough Sports have hit the play-off places in National League North after a 1-0 win over Farsley Celtic at the Bee Arena on Saturday.

A competitive, but scrappy game against the team next-to-bottom in the table didn’t set the pulse racing, but it can’t be allowed to dilute the achievement of Sports who were seen as relegation fodder by many before they kicked a ball in their debut season at step two.

Instead Sports are seventh as the halfway point of the season approaches, 12 points clear of the relegation places.

A single goal 10 minutes into the second half sealed today’s win as Mark Jones showed terrific reactions to dive, intercept and head home a wayward shot on goal from Maniche Sani.

Josh McCammon in action for Peterborough Sports against Farsley Celtic. Photo: James Richardson.

It was comfortably the best moment of the match from Sports apart from their usual levels of fight and rugged defence, plus the late arrival from the substitutes’ bench of top scorer Jordan Nicholson for his first appearance since breaking his leg in September.

Nicholson immediately looked quick and sharp and helped tee up Jones for what looked likely to be a second goal in the final moments until Farsley full-back Lewis Turner arrived to head the ball off the goalline.

Sports never hit any stylish heights and Farsley often looked the better side in the first-half. Chances were rare at either end though with Sports’ keeper Peter Crook making a decent save at his near post before visiting number one Max Dearnley made good ground to keep out Jones’ deflected strike at goal.

Farsley’s defence was expertly martialled by 39 year-old former Scunthorpe, Huddersfield, Walsall and Doncaster centre-back, and ex-Posh set-piece coach, Andy Butler, but they offered little except hard graft after falling behind.

Sports have a big game on Tuesday when travelling to Scarborough Athletic, another newly-promoted side who sit just above Sports in the table.

Sports: Peter Crook, Kayden Williams-Lowe, Nathan Fox, Ryan Fryatt, Connor Johnson, Dan Lawlor, Connor Kennedy, Josh McCammon, Maniche Sani, Mark Jones, Diod Sembie-Ferris: Subs used: Jordan Nicholson, Richard Jones, Dan Jarvis.

Attendance: 264.