Ten-man Peterborough Sports are two wins away from the first round proper of the FA Cup
Peterborough Sports had to play over an hour with 10 men before reaching the third qualifying round of the FA Cup on Tuesday.
A solitary Jordan Nicholson goal in the 7th minute was eventually enough to see Sports beat lower level Redditch United 1-0 in a second qualifying round replay at the Bee Arena.
But how they had to work after Conor Johnson’s first-half red card to get to within two wins of the first round proper for the first time in the club’s history. The first of those matches is at home against National South League side Heme Hempstead on October 1.
After a 2-2 draw at Redditch on Saturday, the replay was a full on affair between two sides both desperate to advance in the competition.
Sports were away to a quick start and on just 5 minutes a superb Nathan Fox cross was met by the head of Mark Jones, but well saved by the visiting ‘keeper.
The breakthrough however wasn't long in the waiting as more great work from Fox down the left flank saw him cross to Dion Sembie-Ferris who laid the ball into the path of Nicholson who made no mistake.
This sparked Redditch into life and Pete Crook in the Sports goal was called upon several times to keep them out.
A big blow for the Turbines on 23 minutes when Nicholson was forced off with a leg injury, bringing Ky Marsh-Brown into the game.
And then disaster on 30 minutes for Sports when Johnson went in for a challenge that led to the referee issuing a red card. A quick tactical change saw the unfortunate Kayden Williams-Lowe make way for centre back Ryan Fryatt.
It was no surprise to see Redditch press higher with the numerical advantage, but Sports worked hard to take a slender 1-0 lead into half time.
As you would expect, the second half was 45 minutes of Redditch trying to break down the Sports’ dogged defence and to be fair to the city side to a man they were magnificent.
On 79 minutes very much against the run of play it was Sports so nearly getting a second when a Michael Gash shot was superbly saved by Kieran Boucher in the Redditch goal.
But Sports against all the odds were able to see it through.
Sports: Crook, Williams-Lowe, Fox, R. Jones, Johnson. Lawlor, Sembie-Ferris, Sherif, M. Jones, McCammon, Nicholson. Subs: Fryatt, Elsom, Kenendy, Gash, Sani, Marsh-Brown, Hilliard.