REPORT: Peterborough United 1, Luton Town 1: Battling Posh miss late chances to upset the promotion-chasing Hatters.

A Posh win would not have boosted their survival hopes that much as Reading collected three points tonight (April 5), but this would have been seen as a banker win for the Hatters, especially after taking the lead early in the second half.

Jonson Clarke-Harris equalised with a fine header from Joe Ward’s superb 88th minute cross and almost won the game in the 95th minute with an outstanding 25 yard strike which smacked into a post.

Substitute Ricky-Jade Jones had missed a sitter 11 minutes from time and Jack Taylor sent a diving header over the bar from a fine Harrison Burrows centre at the start of added time when it looked easier to score.

And yet Luton should be kicking themselves for failing to seal three points. They took the lead early in the second-half and then proceeded to spend the rest of the half wasting time with the help of a horribly weak referee. They even subbed off scorer Danny Hylton for a centre-back in Sonny Bradley, but then looked vulnerable from every cross.

It should be noted that all those Posh chances arrived after they switched to a 4-3-3 formation.

Posh made two changes to their starting line-up with Ronnie Edwards replacing Emmanuel Fernandez and Kwame Poke coming in for Sammie Szmodics. The same three centre-back formation was deployed despite a leaky defensive record in home games

Luton fielded an attacking line-up as they looked to sustain the most unlikely of promotion pushes. They started the game 38 points ahead of their hosts.

Posh looked bright early on and Frankie Kent’s header from a Harrison Burrows cross was superbly tipped onto a post by Luton ‘keeper James Shea.

Shea was less convincing a minute later when fumbling a Burrows shot around a post before the visitors started to push Posh back, mainly with a liberal use of long balls towards powerful striker Elijah Adebayo.

It was Adebayo who almost opened the scoring with a header from a superb Fred Onyedimna right-wing cross, but Posh ‘keeper Dai Cornell saved well.

Luton always looked the most likely to penetrate through pressure, but Posh outshot their visitors 11-4 in the first-half. Most of those efforts were from distance and most were blocked, although Shea had to turn another 20 yard striker from Taylor behind for a corner.

Jack Marriott didn’t quite get enough on a Joe Ward cross and the former Luton striker smacked another shot wide after a Josh Knight pass. Poku volleyed wide after a Knight cross had been cleared to the edge of the penalty area.

Posh were troubled throughout by Adebayo and they were almost undone in the final minute of the half by a simple long pass which was flicked on by the Hatters’ player. Hylton, who had been pushed further forward when Cameron Jerome limped off, pounced, but Knight was quickly round to cover and block the shot.

Luton were quickly out of the blocks in the second-half. Hylton almost scored from an Adebayo knockdown in the opening minute, but he wasn’t to be denied for long.

On 49 minutes a fine pass behind Burrows was pounced on by Onyedmina who had all the time in the world to pick out Hylton who scuffed a shot from close range past Cornell before deciding to taunt the Posh fans.

Posh almost responded immediately as Ward played Marriott into the area, but the angle was too tight and Shea saved easily.

And then very little happened until a rousing finale when centre-back Kent was withdrawn in favour of Szmodics 15 minutes from time.

Jones somehow missed from close range from a terrific Ward cross, but no matter as another Ward cross gave Clarke-Harris the chance to claim his 10th goal of the season with a fine header.

Luton suddenly started to rush, but in the end they were relieved not to have lost. Taylor’s miss was glaring as he even had the time and space to convert in any way he wanted.

Posh: Dai Cornell, Harrison Burrows, Frankie Kent (sub Sammie Szmodics, 75mins), Ronnie Edwards, Josh Knight, Joe Ward, Jack Taylor, Jeando Fuchs, Kwame Poku, Jack Marriott (sub Ricky-Jade Jones, 68 mins), Jonson Clarke-Harris. Subs:

Unused subs: Will Blackmore, Reece Brown, Jorge Grant, Bali Mumba, Emmanuel Fernandez.

Luton: James Shea, James Bree, Kal Naismith, Peter Kioso, Amari’i Bell, Pelly Mpanzu, Allan Campbell, Fred Onyedinma (sub Harry Cornick, 90 mins), Danny Hylton (sub Sonny Bradley, 81 mins), Elijah Adebayo, Cameron Jerome (sub Henri Lansbury, 32 mins).

Unused subs: Harry Isted, Dan Potts, Robert Snodgrass, Carlos Mendes-Gomes.

Goals: Posh - Clarke-Harris (86 mins).

Luton - Hylton (49 mins).

Cautions: Posh - Fuchs (foul), Marriott (unsportsmanlike conduct), Kent (foul), Jones (foul).

Luton - Mpanzu (foul), Adebayo (foul)

Referee: Thomas Bramall 5

Attendance: 10,941 (3,691 Luton).