ON-THE-WHISTLE-REPORT: Peterborough United 2, Scunthorpe 2: Good game, but Posh remain frustrated by familiar failings

Posh led twice through Marcus Maddison and Junior Morias, but the visitors were well worth their point. That’s 19 points dropped now from winning positions by Grant McCann’s men this season.

McCann can be pleased the two men he recalled to the starting line-up scored, but his 3-4-1-2 often looked suspect defensively against such strong opposition.

Remarkably there was some consternation aimed at the return of Maddison, but that was probably more to do with the axing of popular Danny Lloyd, a goalscorer at the weekend,

Within two minutes the mood was changed somewhat when Maddison scored a goal of some quality, accepting a short pass and stroking the ball into the corner of the net from 25 yards.

Posh were rampant for the opening 10 minutes as Morias and Maddison forced excellent saves from visiting ‘keeper Matthew Gilks from distance, but slowly the high-flying visitors started to keep the ball and enjoy the spaces behind the home wing-backs.

Lee Novak forced a fine save from Jonathan Bond with a terrific 20-yard half volley before Scunthorpe found their equaliser on 34 minutes.

It was all rather too simple from the Posh point of view as Scunthorpe used just two passes to defeat three centre-backs and two deep-lying midfielders as Josh Morris found Ivan Toney with a sumptuous pass and he finished emphatically.

Toney was a handful all half and hit the bar with a fine header soon after his goal. Jack Baldwin made a superb block to deny Toney from the rebound.

But Posh started to play again and almost re-took the lead from a corner when Morias and Michael Doughty saw shots blocked.

And Morias then struck in the last seconds of the half, turning the ball home from close range after a lovely run and cross from Joe Ward.

Posh made a fast start to the second half with Gilks fumbling a Marriott snapshot from distance behind for a corner.

But Scunny were soon threatening down the flanks again with Bond finger-tipping a Sutton cross to safety and Conor Townsend driving just wide of the post.

The visitors kept pressing and were rewarded with a second equaliser on 64 minutes. Liam Shephard’s miscontrol enabled Townsend to burst into the area and pull the ball back for Ryan Yates to finish off the inside of the post.

Ward missed a chance at the far post before Posh belatedly went to a 4-4-2 formation 15 minutes from time and the improvement was immediate.

Ryan Tafazolli missed a great to win the game 10 minutes from time when heading Maddison’s corner wide.

The game rather fizzled out until added time when Gilks made a fine one-handed save to keep Maddison out and Bond made an even better stop to keep out substitute Cameron McGeehan’s late piledriver.

Posh: Jonathan Bond, Steven Taylor, Jack Baldwin (sub Andrew Hughes, 74 mins), Ryan Tafazolli, Liam Shephard, Joe Ward (sub Danny Lloyd, 74 mins), Anthony Grant, Michael Doughty (sub Leo Da Silva Lopes, 84 mins), Marcus Maddison, Junior Morias, Jack Marriott.

Unused substitutes: Conor O’Malley, George Cooper, Chris Forrester, Omar Bogle.

Scunthorpe: Matt Gilks, Conor Townsend, Rory McArdle, Murray Wallace, Ryan Yates, Funso Ojo, Levi Sutton (sub Cameron McGeehan, 83 mins)l, Josh Morris, Hakeeb Adelukan (sub Duane Holmes, 75 mins), Ivan Toney, Lee Novak (sub Tom Hopper, 88 mins).

Unused substitutes: Rory Watson, Neal Bishop, Charlie Goode, Cameron Burgess.

Goals: Posh - Maddison (2 mins), Morias (45 + 2 mins).

Scunthorpe - Toney (34 mins), Yates (61 mins).

Cautions: Posh - Taylor (foul), Maddison (foul), Da Silva Lopes (foul).

Scunthorpe - Morris (foul).

Referee: Trevor Kettle 4

Attendance: 4,397 (342 Scunthorpe).