Peterborough Sports see off 10-man Hednesford to go second, but it came at a price

The result saw Sports move up to second in the Southern League Premier Division Central table, just a point off Coalville in top spot with a game in hand. Manager Jimmy Dean, however, will be sweating on the fitness of Isaiah Bazeley and Dion Sembie-Ferris, who were both forced off in a less than ideal first half for his side.

Dean made three changes from the team beaten 1-0 by Alvechurch last time out. Luke Warner-Eley replaced Johnny Herd at left-back, while forwards Jordan Nicholson and Maniche Sani came in after recovering from injury. Sani was making his first league start since September, when it was feared a knee ligament injury could end his season.

Injuries remained the story of the match when, after just six minutes, full-back Bazeley had to be helped from the field after jarring his foot in the turf when attempting a cross. He was replaced by Dan Jarvis, but things got worse before 20 minutes were out when star man Sembie-Ferris limped from the field. On-loan Kettering man De-Carrey Sheriff was his replacement.

The disruption seemed to affect Sports as they dominated the ball without ever really looking threatening. In fact, heading into stoppage time, the visitors had perhaps had the best chance, with Lewis Ludford-Ison firing just wide from a short corner routine.

Just as a first-half bereft of any goalmouth action was about the come to an end, the match sprung into life. Sports striker Michael Gash fed a cute pass into Josh McCammon on the right on the box and he buried it past the on-rushing keeper.

Sports led in stoppage-time, but just moments later, Hednesford levelled when Ludford-Ison was left unmarked from a free-kick and managed to loop a header over the helpless Lewis Moat in the Sports goal.

However, they too then immediately gave up the upper hand heading into the break when Kyle Rowley flew in with a high tackle on Sheriff, with just seconds to go in the half, and was rightly shown the red card.

The beleaguered visitors had nothing to give in the second half and could only sit there as Sports launched wave after wave of attacks. Maniche became the returning hero on the hour mark by finding a way, it looked like off his back, to deflect home Gash’s cushioned header from a corner.

The result was made safe after the barrage of one-way traffic with Jarvis and Gash both converting after being excellently picked out by McCammon.

The midfielder staked a strong claim for the man of the match award in front of a crowd of 208.

Sports are next in action at home to next-to-bottom Redditch United on Saturday (December 4, 3pm).