REPORT: PETERBOROUGH UNITED 2, BURTON ALBION 2: A glorious Posh winning streak comes to and end as Burton fight back twice for a draw

A goal early in each half from Jonson Clarke-Harris and Joe Ward looked to have put Posh in command, but Burton deserved a point, secured by two Kane Hemmings goals.

Both sides had chances to win the match in a pulsating end-to-end finale when both teams hit the woodwork.

Posh recalled Sammie Szmodics for Ryan Broom, but even a 10th-minute goal for Clarke-Harris didn’t inspire a decent first-half performance. A poor opening 45 minutes has been a Posh theme of this season.

Clarke-Harris was in the right place to divert Frankie Kent’s volley past Burton ‘keeper Kieran O’Hara after a free kick had been cleared to the edge of the area.

It took a fine defensive block from Sam Hughes to deny Clarke-Harris an immediate second after a strong run from Siriki Dembele, but Posh were soon misplacing passes and attempting long diagonals with a low percentage success rate.

And when they did get near the Burton penalty area Ward’s crossing was inaccurate, Dembele dribbled the ball into danger and Szmodics was rarely found in space. All this against a makeshift visiting defence which featured attacking player Lucas Akins at right-back.

In contrast the visitors displayed the greater teamwork and looked like they had more desire and fight than their hosts.

Ward’s poor pass led directly to Nial Ennis breezing past Dan Butler and hitting a shot that Kent shoveled around a post.

And the equaliser Burton deserved arrived in the 32nd minute. It was a terrific team goal as well with Indiana Vassilev crossing from the left, Ennis laying it back skilfully into the path of Hemmings who finished expertly.

Posh ‘keeper Christy Pym couldn’t then hold a Hemmings shot and was relieved to see Vassilev spoon the rebound over the bar.

And on the stroke of half-time sloppiness from Jack Taylor led to another Burton break which ended with Ennis screwing a shot badly wide.

Posh had resorted to arguing amongst themselves by then. Manager Darren Ferguson must have been pleased to hear the half-time whistle.

Posh won their first corner of the match at the start of the second-half and it led to a goal... eventually.

A short set-piece was fed back to Ward whose far post cross was headed against a post from close range by Kent. The ball rebounded to Mark Beevers who was fouled by Hughes to give Posh a penalty.

Clarke-Harris stepped up, but his shot was too close to ‘keeper Kieran O’Hara who saved. Fortunately for Kent and Clarke-Harris, Ward raced into the area to reach the rebound first and continue his terrific scoring record against this opposition. The wideman has now scored in four of his last five appearances against Burton.

For a spell Posh looked sharp. Szmodics met Nathan Thompson’s cross with a neat volley that was deflected behind and Dembele and Ward combined with the latter’s cross seemingly bound for Szmodics until a defender arrived to clear behind.

Jack Taylor threatened at a couple of set-pieces, Dembele looked bright, but Burton were soon back in the game as Posh failed to claim thet crucial third goal.

One loose pass from Reece Brown saw Hemmings burst clear into the penalty area only to be denied by Kent’s block.

He wasn’t to be denied for long. On the hour Posh allowed Vassilev too much time to shoot from 20 yards. He hit the post, Hemmings was first to the rebound and his shot found the net via the inside of a post despite a valiant effort from Pym to keep it out.

Posh responded with two Ward free-kicks, one saved and one that whistled just wide.

And Ward then struck the crossbar from a 25-yard set-piece 15 minutes from time with substitute Broom, with his first touch of the ball, not quite able to leap high enough to guide the rebound home.

Next it was the turn of Burton to threaten as Posh failed to clear a corner with Ryan Edwards smacking a fierce shot against the woodwork.

And Posh missed a glorious chance to win the game after a superb through ball by Dembele sent Broom clear eight minutes from time. Sadly the sub made a horrible mess of the opportunity and skewed it well wide.

Burton settled for their point after that and richly deserved it was as well.

Posh: Christy Pym, Nathan Thompson (sub Niall Mason, 82 mins), Mark Beevers, Frankie Kent, Dan Butler, Jack Taylor, Reece Brown, Joe Ward, Siriki Dembele, Sammie Szmodics (sub Ryan Broom, 75 mins), Jonson Clarke-Harris

Unused substitutes: Dan Gyollai, Mo Eisa, Louis Reed, Ethan Hamilton, Flynn Clarke.

Burton: Kieran O’Hara, Ciaran Gilligan, Colin Daniel, John-Joe O’Toole, Sam Hughes, Stephen Quinn, Steven Lawless, Indiana Vassilev, Lucas Akins, Kane Hemmings, Nial Ennis (sub Ryan Edwards, 68 mins).

Unused substitutes: Teddy Sharman-Lowe, Joe Powell, Ben Fox, Jack Roles, Owen Gallacher, Luke Varney.

Goals: Posh - Clarke-Harris (10 mins), Ward (48 mins).

Burton - Hemmings (32 mins & 60 mins).

Cautions: Posh - Mason (foul).

Burton - Hughes (foul), Akins (foul).

Referee: Paul Howard 7.