Ten man Peterborough pick up a point away at league leaders Lincoln

Following 25-days without a game, Peterborough United earned a respectable point against Micheal Appleton’s high-flying Lincoln City in a 1-1 draw at the LNER Stadium.

Darren Ferguson’s men returned to action against table-topping Lincoln City following a four-week void after they were forced to postpone several fixtures over the festive period due to a Covid-19 outbreak.

It was the visitors who looked like the team that had been playing every week, scoring inside the opening ten minutes when top-scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris’ strike deflected in off Timothy Eyoma.

The Posh did not show the negatives of a month’s break until the second-half when they were caught sleeping from a corner-kick as Anthony Scully tapped-home unmarked at the back post.

It then went from bad to worse for Peterborough moments later when they were reduced to ten men for the final 20 minutes after defender Nathan Thompson saw red after blocking Jorge Grant’s shot with his hands.

Grant stepped up to the spot to take the penalty but fired horridly wide of the target.

The let-off gave Ferguson an opportunity to make a flurry of substitutions in order to hold onto the point and that is how the game was settled.

The Imps, who now sit five points clear at the top of the table, have also had their share of COVID-19 problems prior to the clash as Tom Hopper, Harry Anderson, Joe Walsh and Conor McGrandles were all out self-isolating. 

The hard-fought performance sees the points shared

Fergurson’s men started the game on the front foot, pinning Lincoln back into their own third. Posh’s high line made it difficult for the Imps to string two passes together as they gifted away possession to the visitors attacking trio.

It did not take long for Peterborough to be rewarded for their relentless pressing when Thompson pinched the ball off Liam Bridcutt who was dilly-dallying in the box.

The full-back pulled the ball back to Clarke-Harris whose ten-yard shot was initially cleared off the line, but then struck the unfortunate Eyoma and rebounded back into the net to make it 1-0.

Posh had a wake-up call in the 17th minute as Lincoln produced their first chance of the game. Off the back of their own free-kick, Brennan Johnson picked up the loose ball and charged through on goal but his shot failed to test Christy Pym and sailed over the bar. 

On the half-hour mark, centre back Frankie Kent whipped in an inviting cross from deep which fell to the onrushing Clarke-Harris but he did not connect with the ball with as much conviction as he would have hoped following Lewis Montsma pressure from behind. The headed effort did little to test Alex Palmer and trickled into his awaiting grasp. 

Lincoln began to find their feet when Scully’s surge from deep took everyone by surprise when he took a shot from 30-yards out, causing Pym to desperately backtrack towards his net and wave the ball over the bar. 

Minutes later, a lightning-fast break saw Jorge Grant slipped in Ramirez Howarth down the right flank though the resulting shot was just as hopeless; blazing over the top.

The Imps confidence continued to grow when Grant attempted to tease a free-kick from the edge of the box around the five manned Posh wall, however, the effort could find the side netting. 

Just before the half, Clarke-Harris took one on the chin from two-yards when Montsma attempted clearance cannoned off his face leading to a break in play. The striker’s proved to be unaffected when Siriki Dembele’s interception and through ball played him through.

His cross was brilliantly blocked and stopped a certain goal for Sammie Szmodics who was lurking at the back post. 

Yet the mood soon changed minutes into the second half when Reece Brown gave the ball away with an attempted long pass on his weaker foot. Thompson managed to stop the break by clearing the ball out for a corner but was left to rue as an unmarked Scully tapped home the equaliser.

Efforts to conjure a swift reply came from Clarke-Harris’ wild header and Dembele’s dipping strike from range before Appleton looked to add another, replacing Howarth for Manchester City loanee Morgan Rogers to make his debut for the home side.

The momentum continued to swing in Lincoln’s favour when they produced their best play of the game and made a series of short passes which was eventually taken by Grant. His cut-back fell for Johnson at the near post but his poke towards goal was saved brilliantly by Pym who stood firm.

It then went from bad to worse for the away side when Thomspson punched the ball away in an attempt to clear the ball and received his ninth red card of his career. Just like last season, Grant stepped up to the spot but, unlike last season, fired the shot wide of the bar and handed Posh a lifeline.

Looking to solidify his team after going a man down, the Peterborough boss made a triple change: bringing on defenders Dan Butler and Niall Mason for Szmodics and Dembele as well as Ricky Jade-Jones for Harrison Burrows.

Butler and Mason were giving no time to settle into the game and were called into action straight away with both players making vital interceptions inside their own box.

Just as four minutes were added in extra time, Jones was given no other option but to pull down substitute Ethan Hamilton who was pacing through the centre of the LNER Stadium.

Not dissuaded by their disadvantaged, Posh looked like the side who were more likely to score when Lincoln scrambled away a free-kick that was played deep into their own box.

The resulting throw-in saw the referee blow for full-time as a hard-fought performance saw both teams leave with a point.

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