Peterborough Sports push promotion chasers hard before having to accept a narrow defeat

Third-placed Brackley Town needed a headed goal from a corner on the hour mark to take all three points. Sports had lost 1-0 at home to leaders Chester last weekend with this reverse dropping the city side two places in the table to 13th ahead of a home game against 18th-placed Oxford City at PIMS Park on Tuesday.

Sports were without on-loan Barnsley star Bayley McCann because of injury, but new signing Kieran Wallace made his debut as a late substitute and Dan Jarvis also returned to the squad a week after fracturing a cheekbone and having a special mask built.

Brackley saw the bulk of the ball throughout the contest, but met stiff resistance with visiting goalkeeper Peter Crook only called into action on a handful of occasions in the first half, most notably when tipping a goalbound strike from Matt Lowe over the bar and when showing good reactions to thwart a two-on-one chance for the hosts . On the stroke of half-time Crook made a strong stop from Matt Lowe and watched gratefully as Morgan Roberts fired the rebound wide of the target.

Striker Michael Gyasi came closest to scoring for Sports with a 17th minute snapshot from a tight angle which was saved.

Jarvis replaced Lomax early in the second-half and missed a presentable headed chance before Brackley claimed the only goal of the game through George Carline. Alifie Bates had missed a similar opportunity for the promotion chasers earlier in the half.

The home side kept the pressure on, but couldn’t find a second goal enabling Sports to exert some late pressure, but only when a superb cross from Kaine Felix was whipped in did they threaten to score in front of 638 supporters.

Sports: Crook, Putman, Fryatt, Gash, Lomax (sub Dan Jarvis, 51 mins), Alban-Jones, Van Lier, Bland, Felix, Gyasi, Booth. Subs: Jones, Jarvis, Mukuna, Wallace, Elsom.