The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
Sports slip closer to the relegation zone
Peterborough Sports are slipping dangerously close to the National League North relegation zone.
Two games at PIMS Park against mid-table opposition should have offered a great opportunity to put distance between themselves and the bottom four.
But instead Sports followed a 2-2 draw with Blyth Spartans – a point rescued by a last-gasp goal – with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Warrington Town.
Those results have left the city side in 18th place, three places and five points above the drop zone.
It’s a bad time to hit a bad patch. Sports have picked up just two points in their last five matches ahead of a tough game at high-flying Boston United on Good Friday.
The city side then have what looks like a mustwin fixture against lowly Gloucester City at PIMS Park on Easter Monday (3pm).
The good news for Sports is that three teams already look doomed, but there could be a mad scramble to avoid the fourth relegation place.
v WARRINGTON
Sports enjoyed plenty of good spells in the Tuesday match, but a poor back-pass from Dan Lawlor gave Warrington the opportunity to take an early lead.
The visitors added a sec
ond early in the second-half before joint-manager Michael Gash – a first-half substitute for injury victim Mark Jones – delivered a fine finish 25 minutes from time to get Sports back into the game.
That was the signal for heavy home pressure, but they couldn’t find a leveller and Warrington claimed a third goal on the breakaway in the 89th minute.
v BLYTH SPARTANS
Sports’ required a brilliant equaliser from substitute Matt Tootle to rescue a
valuable point.
Tootle struck with a 20-yard screamer with his weaker left foot to level the scores, 20 minutes after Sports had been reduced to 10 men by a controversial red card for centre-back Ryan Fryatt.
That was one of several refereeing decisions that angered joint-manager Michael Gash.
"The point was a big one and to be honest we didn’t play particularly well,” Gash said. “But how we didn’t get three penalties in the game
is beyond me.
"In the first-half their goalkeeper was beaten to the ball by Mark Jones and ended up punching him in the head, and in the second-half, after we’d gone down to 10 men, Mark and then Josh McCammon were both taken down from behind as they looked set to score.
"The red card was also a staggering decision. Ryan has slid in, but he pulled his legs back and just approached their player on his knees.
"But all credit to the lads who showed great spirit to
keep going and win what could be a big point. It was a tough game in very difficult conditions of a strong wind and a bumpy pitch.
"It was a day for percentage football and Blyth did it better than us, certainly in the first-half.”
The visitors led at the break, but a quality strike from Dan Jarvis made it 1-1 soon after the re-start.
Blyth went back in front within 10 minutes, but Sports’ persistence in adversity paid off thanks to Tootle’s thunderbolt.