Posh are into the second round of the Emirates FA Cup after a penalty shoot-out success over Salford City.
Drama in the FA Cup – it goes together like Ant and Dec, Bill and Ben and I’m a Celebrity and the winter. Posh were comfortable at 3-1, holding on at times at 3-3 and chasing the game at 4-3 down, but Jonson Clarke-Harris sent it to penalties deep into stoppage time and then goalkeeper Fyn Talley was the hero as he saved two spot-kicks to send Darren Ferguson’s men through.
It didn’t take long for the hosts to get their noses in front as a short corner was worked well and when the ball was swung in, Curtis TILT was there head home from close-range. Joel Randall curled a right-footed effort over the bar on eight minutes as Posh tried to respond to the early setback.
Ricky-Jade Jones used his pace to get in behind the Salford defence moments later, but as he powered into the box on the angle, he took a heavy touch and his eventual shot went well wide of the target.
Posh drew themselves level just after the quarter hour mark, Romoney Crichlow picked out Ryan De Havilland and his pass caused confusion at the back and Joel RANDALL was the one to profit, delicately chipping the ball over the keeper with his left-foot.
On 17 minutes, Posh were ahead and what a goal, Ephron MASON-CLARK cutting inside and letting fly with an unstoppable effort that cracked the underside of the bar before nestling in the net. Vassell immediately had a chance from a set-piece but headed straight at Talley.
Josh Knight saw a deflected effort from the edge of the box nestle into the arms of Cairns on 20 minutes. Mallon fired over from long-range on 36 minutes after being afforded a little room around 28-yards from goal.
Knight headed over from a Randall corner kick at the other end, the defender doing well to get across the near post, but he couldn’t keep his effort down. The Ammies had the ball in the back of the net on 42 minutes, but the assistant referee had his flag raised and the goal was rightly chalked off.
Harrison Burrows saw a shot blocked after Posh did well to keep a move alive before Jones lashed the rebound well wide. On the stroke of half-time, Darren Ferguson’s men extended their advantage as Archie COLLINS planted a fine curling left-footed shot into the bottom corner.
The hosts made a double change at the break with Nmai and Lund introduced by Neil Wood with Ingram and Smith withdrawn. Fyn Talley produced a smart stop by his near post to keep out Luke Garbutt on 47 minutes as the hosts made a bright start to the half.
The home side reduced the arrears on 54 minutes as a corner from the left as powered home by TILT for his second goal of the evening. Poku sent a shot wide via a deflection at the other end as Posh tried to restore their two-goal cushion.
Collins was cautioned for a body-check 30-yards from goal by referee Darren Drysdale. Talley produced a fine stop to keep out a curling free-kick from Mallon just before the hour from the resulting set-piece.
Moments later it was 3-3 as a cross from the right was turned past his own goalkeeper by Collins from close-range. Watson was a whisker away from making it 4-3 after connecting beautifully on the volley from the edge of the box, the ball flying inches past Talley’s post.
Darren Ferguson made a triple change on 77 minutes with David Ajiboye, Jonson Clarke-Harris and Zak Sturge introduced. Crichlow was cautioned moments later for a foul. Fernandez saw a shot blocked as the tie went into six minutes of additional time.
Randall fired over from a deep Poku corner two minutes into injury time before Garbutt was booked for stopping Posh taking a quick free-kick. James Dornelly replaced Fernandez at the start of extra time with the powerful defender struggling with cramp.
Mallon was inches away from a fine goal on 93 minutes, but his swerving effort from range found the side-netting. On 103 minutes, the home side got their noses in front as MALLON fired home past Talley from the edge of the box.
Sturge saw a shot blocked before Randall blazed over on 107 minutes with Posh trying hard to get themselves back into a contest they were controlling in the first 45 minutes. Substitute Dackers should have sealed it but after twisting and turning his shot was weak and Talley made a routine stop.
Nmai was denied by Talley on 111 minutes as Posh pushed bodies forward and were caught on the counter-attack. Deep into stoppage time, Posh found a leveller as substitute Jonson CLARKE-HARRIS fired home from close-range.
The penalty shoot-out was just like the 120 minutes, full of drama as Mason-Clark and Wakeling both saw their spot-kicks saved with Duckers seeing his effort saved by Talley and Watt struck the post. Talley then became the hero as he saved McLennan’s effort to send Posh through to the second round.
Salford City: Cairns, Ingram (sub Lund 46min), Watt, Watson, McLennan, Mallan, Tilt, Smith (sub Nmai 46min), McAleney (sub Dackers 73min), Garbutt, Vassell. Unused subs: Wright, Pedro, Humbles, Henderson, Lara, Hamman,
Posh: Talley, Fernandez (sub Dornelly 91min), Knight, Crichlow, Burrows (sub Ajiboye 77min), De Havilland (sub Sturge 77min), Collins, Poku, Mason-Clark, Randall (sub Wakeling 115min), Jones (sub Clarke-Harris 77min). Unused subs: Bilokapic, Overton, Corbett, Van Lier.
Half-time: Salford City 1-3 Peterborough United
Full-time: Salford City 3-3 Peterborough United
Attendance: 1,030 (234 Posh fans)
Referee: Darren Drysdale