Coventry Comeback Stuns Posh
Darren Ferguson's Peterborough United side left the pitch shell-shocked and shell-shocked they may well be as they let a comfortable 2-0 lead to lose 3-2 at the Ricoh Arena at the hands of Coventry City.It was right-wing back Michael Smith who registered the first effort of the game, but he skied his left-footed shot after good work from the man on the other side of the pitch, Joe Newell.
The returning Frank Nouble was denied by Ben Alnwick on 11 minutes as Christian Burgess misread the flight of a crossfield pass.
On the quarter-hour mark, Posh opened the scoring. Maddison took a difficult ball from Alnwick on his chest and rolled the ball into the path of TAYLOR, who took a touch and calmly rolled the ball past Burge and into the back of the net.
Maddison fired over from 30-yards on 24 minutes, but in truth, the effort was never coming close to the goal of Burge.
On 27 minutes, Posh made it 2-0. Johnson was booked for a foul on MADDISON. He stepped up and with his now famous technique, sent a free-kick swerving towards goal. The ball swerved so much, goalkeeper Burge appeared to dive out of the way as he tried to read the flight of the ball.
Johnson headed a Fleck free-kick over the bar on 47 minutes after Zakuani felled Nouble. Moments later, the Sky Blues reduced the arrears as Ryan HAYNES curled a fine effort into the corner after O'Brien and Nouble helped to create the opportunity.
Alnwick produced a fine stop to deny Nouble's deflected effort on 54 minutes, before a Maddison curler was plucked out of the air by Burge.
Taylor was denied at the near post by a fine reaction stop from Burge after good work from Newell before Maddison's volley was comfortably claimed.
Alnwick denied O'Brien on the hour mark as the midfielder let fly from 25-yards on a skiddy surface.
Washington sliced wide following a quickly-taken throw-in from Newell as Posh kept up the pressure. However, on 61 minutes, the Sky Blues got themselves level and it was well worked again by the hosts, Haynes with the centre, flicked on by Jackson and O'BRIEN ghosted in at the back post to fire into the roof of the net.
Moments later, the home side were incredibly in front as NOUBLE was allowed to run and run into the box, his shot took a massive deflection and looped over Alnwick and into the back of the net.
Posh responded with a double change, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing and Luke James replacing Taylor and Washington. Payne received his fifth booking of the campaign for a body check before Posh introduced Oztumer for Zakuani.
Maddison sent a free-kick just over the bar on 78 minutes after Oztumer was felled. Nouble curled a shot inches past the post after cutting inside Anderson on 81 minutes.
Final Score: Coventry City 3-2 Posh
Coventry: Burges, Willis, Johnson, Thomas, Fleck, McQuoid (sub Jackson 61min), O'Brien (sub Finch 87min), Barton, Nouble, Hines, Haynes. Unused subs: Allsop, Webster, Miller, Phillips, J. Maddison.
Posh: Alnwick, Smith, Bostwick, Taylor (sub Mendez-Laing 64min), Payne, Washington (sub James 64min), Anderson, Newell, Burgess, Zakuani (sub Oztumer 72min), M. Maddison. Unused subs: Grant, Ferdinand, McEvoy, Santos.
Attendance: 8,957 (1,564 Posh fans)