PETERBOROUGH UNITED 1, STOCKPORT COUNTY 1
A gem of an added-time strike by in-form Jack Diamond salvaged a point for Stockport County as their Easter programme kicked off with a Good Friday sharing of the spoils at Peterborough United.
The hosts had taken the lead with a late first-half goal before parity was eventually restored to the delight of just under 1,500 travelling fans.
The draw saw County drop a position to fifth, and a four-match winning run brought to an end, although, coupled with results elsewhere, also meant that a place in the play-offs would be almost guaranteed.
The Hatters took to the field under a mix of Cambridgeshire cloud and sunshine showing two changes from their starting line-up against Rotherham at Edgeley Park six days earlier.
Odin Bailey and Will Collar were the recalled pair replacing Jayden Fevrier and Owen Moxon who both featured on a bench that also included Benoný Andrésson following his two-match absence due to an injury in training.
Posh, sitting half a dozen points above the relegation zone, albeit with great cause to celebrate after beating League One champions Birmingham City not only to lift, but also retain, the Football League Trophy the previous Sunday, had to turn out without captain Sam Hughes who was prevented from participating in accordance with the terms of his loan from County.
One of the Trophy final goalscoring heroes, Harley Mills, registered the afternoon’s first shot after a couple of minutes, albeit an effort from distance that lacked pace and was comfortably gathered by keeper Corey Addai.
Peterborough shortly afterwards had to make an early change when unfortunate midfielder Archie Collins collided with Ollie Norwood in the fifth minute and was eventually stretchered off around the quarter hour following a lengthy spell of treatment.
Four minutes later, the hosts’ leading league scorer, and Ghanaian international, Kwame Poku, cut in from the right before unleashing a low shot that was deflected off Ethan Pye and beyond the near post.
Just ahead of the half hour, and at the other end, Norwood floated a free kick towards the left of goal where Kyle Wootton, at full stretch, half-volleyed over. And a couple of minutes later, Diamond sent across a low delivery from the left that evaded all in attendance as well, in due course, as the far upright.
Eight minutes before the interval, the ball spun in the County box towards the feet of Ricky-Jade Jones whose shot on the turn was cleanly caught by Addai.
But six minutes later, the striker was to make no mistake, as, following a break after a County corner and a slip by Pye on the halfway line, he raced through on goal and slotted past Addai to put Posh in front.
Eleven minutes were added on to account for the injury to Collins – and a full dozen played – but chances remained at a premium throughout stoppage time, before the hosts went in at the break a goal to the good.
County introduced the one-time Colchester duo of Fevrier and Jay Mingi upon the resumption and made a brighter start to the new half with Norwood and Tanto Olaofe, in quick succession, firing near identical low drives that home goalkeeper Jed Steer stretched to smother in front of the right post.
A couple of Norwood free kicks followed with the first finding Wootton, who headed past the left upright, and the second narrowly clearing the Posh crossbar.
At the other end, a dead-ball effort almost paid dividends for the hosts as Addai was forced to tip over Ryan De Havilland’s in-swinging corner from the left.
The end-to-end second-half fare continued with Collar, fed by Fevrier, flashing a shot wide of the left post, before Emmanuel Fernandez headed over a Mills corner from the right. And Peterborough’s injury list had another name added to it when substitute Cian Hayes suffered a knock and, following treatment, was himself replaced fewer than 10 minutes after coming on.
Abraham Odoh drilled beyond the left post and Jones, under pressure from Mingi, fired high and wide, for the hosts whose physio was called upon once more, on this latest occasion to tend to captain Hector Kyprianou.
An additional six minutes were announced at the end, but no sooner had the first of those begun when Diamond was teed up outside the area by Moxon, following good work from Fevrier on the right, before firing a low, left-footed shot into the bottom-right corner of the net for his fifth goal of the season and the Hatters’ late equaliser.
County’s holiday weekend continues against Huddersfield in SK3 on Easter Monday when one more point will make mathematically sure of at least a finish in the play-offs.
Goals: Jones (43) for Peterborough. Diamond (90) for Stockport.
Stockport (4-3-3): Addai; Hills, Horsfall (Mingi 46), Pye, Touray (Moxon 84); Bailey (Fevrier 46), Norwood, Collar; Olaofe (Andrésson 74), Wootton, Diamond. Subs (unused): Wogan, Connolly, Cosgrove.
Attendance: 11,241 (1,473 visitors).
Report: Gareth Evans.