Peterborough United climb off the canvas more than once to move into FA Cup second round in extraordinary style

Posh had this game won, then they gave it away, then they saved themselves so late in the day, forget the 11th hour, it was virtually the twelfth. They then trailed in the shootout, then they fought back to finally make progress.

In the end, Fynn Talley was the hero as he kept out Connor McLennan’s penalty to seal a 5-4 penalty shootout victory after a 4-4 draw.

Posh were only in the position to claim victory in such dramatic circumstances because of Jonson Clarke-Harris’s 123rd minute goal- when there was one added minute- when he bundled in a free-kick. Posh were trailing in extra-time due to fantastic Stevie Mallan strike when Posh had been dominating the additional period.

It was the worst possible start for Posh, having conceding in the fifth minute of the first tie, it took just four on this occasion when Curtis Tilt headed home from a corner.

Posh then shifted up the gears and threatened to run away with the game a la Cambridge with goals from Joel Randall, Ephron Mason-Clark and Archie Collins before the break.

Of course, that would have been too simple though and back came their hosts, who sit 15th in League Two, to force the game into extra time at 3-3.

Darren Ferguson made four changes from Saturday and there was a surprise change in goal, with Fynn being brought into from the team that mauled Cambridge. There were three further changes as international commitments and injury left Posh without key players Ronnie Edwards, Peter Kioso and Hector Kyprianou. Emmanuel Fernandez, Romoney Crichlow and Ryan De Havilland were brought in the line-up with Fernandez placed at right back rather than Josh Knight as expected.

Posh got off to the worst possible start when Salford were allowed all the time they wanted to play a short corner into the box. Elliot Watt was allowed to swing in the ball from the left to an unmarked Curtis Tilt to head home.

That seemed to wake up Posh though who immediately seized the initiative and were level ten minutes later after a sustained spell of pressure. The hosts gave them more than a helping hand though. Tilt looked to have cleared the danger with a sliding tackle after Ryan De Havilland’s through ball sent Randall running through but the Salford defence then all seemed to pause and out came keeper Alex Cairns to the edge of his box. Randall was the only player that was alive and smashed the ball over the keeper and into an empty net.

Just like on Saturday, there was an instant second. It was Mason-Clark again, he cut inside and smashed a wonderful effort off the top of the bar and into the far corner.

It didn’t have the same demoralising impact though and Salford continued to retain an attacking threat, especially from balls into the box. Connor McLennan should have levelled after 20 minutes when Stevie Mallan picked him out from a free-kick but he headed straight at Talley.

Posh kept coming though and after Josh Knight blocked a vicious goalbound effort from McLennan with his face in the closing stages of the half, Posh broke forward again and should have made it 3-1. The lively Poku first saw a shot blocked, Harrison Burrows then won the ball back in the box and saw a follow up effort blocked just a few yards from goal.

Collins bailed out his forwards a minute later though, feeding off Randall’s little lay-off and picking his spot the bottom-right corner of the goal before placing it there to perfection.

The job was far from done though as the hosts flew out of the blocks in the second half, forcing a triple chance. After half time substitute Kelly N’Mai and Ryan Watson saw shots blocked, McAleny was then sent in one-on-one from a chipped ball over the Posh backline but Fynn Talley was equal to his effort at his near post.

They only had to wait until the 54th minute though to get themselves right back into the match when Tilt powered in a second header straight from a Watt corner.

The woeful Posh half continued and Salford were all the way back just after the hour mark when Posh switched off from a throw-in allowed McLennan to send in a low cross and there was the unfortunate Collins to deflect it in.

Watson nearly made it 4-3 with a brilliant volley just inside the box with 20 minutes to play as Posh struggled to build any momentum.

They finally found their rhythm in the closing stages but just could not find the breakthrough. They even early gave it away when Talley passed the ball right to Watt on the edge of the box, the Salford man had a glorious opportunity to make it 4-3 but rushed his shot, dragging ti wide.

The closest Posh came was in the third minute of stoppage time when Poku’s corner fell perfectly for Randall but the Posh man could only fire agonisingly over the bar.

In extra time, Posh thoroughly controlled the game without being able to make the breakthrough and were left stunned when Stevie Mallan fired a brilliant shot into the far corner form 25 yards.

Posh poured on the pressure and with their final chance of the game, David Ajiboye flung in a ball into the box, it bobbled around and there was the prolific marksman Clarke-Harris to bundle the ball over the line.

Even riding that high, Posh looked to be on the backfoot in the shootout after Mason-Clark and Jacob Wakeling saw their spot kicks saved, number three and four, to see Posh fall 3-2 with Salford about to take their fourth.

Up stepped Talley though to save from Marcus Dackers. Posh were perfect from that point, including young full back James Dornelly, while Elliott Watt planted a kick to win the game against the post before Connor McLennan put the ball to the keeper’s right and Talley read it perfectly.

Posh: Fynn Talley, Harrison Burrows (sub Zak Sturge 79 mins), Romoney Crichlow, Emmanuel Fernandez (sub James Dornelly 90 mins), Josh Knight, Archie Collins, Ryan De Havilland (sub David Ajiboye 79 mins), Ephron Mason-Clark, Joel Randall (sub Jacob Wakeling 115 mins), Kwame Poku, Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Jonson Clarke-Harris 79 mins)

Not used: Nicholas Bilokapic, Kai Corbett, Gabe Overton, Will van Lier

Salford: Alex Cairns, Ethan Ingram (sub Matty Lund 45 mins), Luke Garbutt, Elliot Watt, Theo Vassell, Ryan Watson, Connor McLennan, Stephen Mallan, Curtis Tilt, Conor McAleny (sub Marcus Dackers 73 mins), Matt Smith (sub Kelly N’mai 45 mins)

Not used: Joe Wright, Djavan Pedro, Liam Humbles, Alfie Henderson, Jacob Lara, Jacob Hamman

Goals – Posh: Randall (16 mins), Mason-Clark (18 mins), Collins (45+1 mins), Clarke-Harris (120+3)

Salford: Tilt (4, 54 mins), Knight og (61 mins), Mallan (104 mins)

Bookings – Posh: Collins, Crichlow

Salford: Garbutt

Ref: Darren Drysdale 7

Att: 1,030 (234 Posh)