Peterborough Sports in great heart ahead of a Boxing Day humdinger v Scunthorpe United

The National League North game looks set to attract a big attendance and fans are reminded it’s an all-ticket match and tickets must be purchased by 6pm on Monday evening from https://psfc.ktckts.com/event/pbs2425h01/peterborough-sports-fc-v-scunthorpe-united.

Sports stretched their unbeaten run to eight matches with a 1-1 draw at Scarborough Athletic on Saturday. That was a fifth draw in that run, but good enough to move the city side 10 points clear of the relegation zone and within nine points of the play-off places after a game featuring plenty of penalty decision controversy.

Scunthorpe have stuttered after a very positive start to the season. A team now managed by former Peterborough United set piece coach Andy Butler is probably disappointed to be fourth, four points off top spot.

“The Boxing Day game is a big one against a massive club,” Sports’ joint-boss Michael Gash said. “They will always be the favourites to go up at this level, but they probably feel they have been a bit hit and miss this season whereas we are delighted with our position and with the form we are in. We are on a long unbeaten run and, while obviously we would have preferred to win more of the games, we have picked up points at some difficult places.

“That was the case on Saturday. Scarborough have the same points total as us, but they are very capable of playing excellent football. They had more of the ball than we did, but I couldn’t have been happier with our defensive shape, and of course or commitment was spot on as always.

"We scored early thanks to a great finish from Kaine Felix and we were pretty comfortable until the penalty decisions. They were awarded two and the first was for a handball against, I think, Will Van Lier which no-one else apart from the referee saw. There was a mass of bodies around the ball and not a single Scarborough player appealed for anything.

"They scored that one and then were given another one for a tackle by Bayley McCann which I could understand, but they hit that one over the crossbar, and then how we didn’t get given a penalty late on for a foul on Max Booth is beyond me. I was 45 yards away and it looked clearcut and I’m told the referee assessor thought so as well.

"There was a lot going on, but the point was a good one and we will be taking plenty of confidence into Boxing Day when I hope we get a decent crowd. I know of a few who don’t normally watch us have said they are coming.”

Sports are also in action on New Year’s Day at next-to-bottom Needham Market (3pm).