Peterborough Sports lose on the pitch, but secure a huge victory off it

Sports lost their National League North clash with Scarborough Athletic 1-0 at the Bee Arena, but news the club have been granted an extension to complete the work required to bring the stadium up to the level required by competition rules is of far greater significance.

Without that guarantee Sports would be relegated at the end of the current campaign. The city club were supposed to pass an inspection on March 31, but have now been given until April 30 to bring the stadium up to scratch.

A change of club ownership to Tim Woodward and the progress made since his involvement was confirmed persuaded league officials to award another month’s grace.

The players were told the news tonight and tried hard to make it a perfect few hours by beating play-off contenders Scarborough Athletic, but they couldn’t get a break in the penalty area, or from referee Oliver Mackey.

Mackey's decision to punish Ryan Fryatt for taking the ball off an opponent, cleanly in the view of Sports players, but illegally according to the official, was a match defining moment as Lewis Maloney expertly curled home the set-piece a minute before the break.

That was harsh on Sports who had looked the better side in the first half without creating much. Sports also pushed hard after the break and enjoyed some promising moments without finding a finish.

Livewire winger Jordan Crawford and midfielder Connor Kennedy enjoyed personal battles with shaky visiting goalkeeper Joseph Cracknell, but neither could force the ball home. Kennedy’s eight-yard header drew an unnecessarily flamboyant save while Crawford’s strike from a difficult angle was saved with much less fuss.

On-loan Posh player Jonathan Gyamfi, a 70th-minute substitute, fizzed a cross just out of reach of onrushing teammates after a neat piece of wingplay and Ryan Fryatt headed wide in the final moments after some skills out wide by another sub Maniche Sani.

Fryatt had also seen a first-half shot hacked off the goalline in the first-half after a piece of mishandling from Cracknell and when the ‘keeper fumbled again after the break Crawford’s shot was blocked by a defender.

Sports fizzled out as an attacking force towards the end as Scarborough ran the clock down seemingly without fear of retribution from Mr Mackey. He waited until the 93rd and final minute to issue a yellow card for Cracknell’s timewasting which had started rather obviously much earlier.

Sports remain 11th and four points outside the play-off places with five matches to go, although there is some confusion as to whether or not they would be allowed into the play-offs anyway given the situation with the stadium.

Sports: Crook, Bazeley, Fox, Fryatt, Jones, Lawlor, Kennedy. Crawford, Jarvis (sub Sani, 66 mins), McCammon (sub Gyamfi, 72 mins), Gash.