Peterborough 2 Fleetwood 1: Town sunk by two stoppage-time strikes

Callum Camps had given the Cod Army the lead five minutes into the second half and Joey Barton’s men looked to have earned a deserved three points until the late collapse.

A drab opening saw neither goalkeeper called into action in the first quarter of an hour. That changed, however, when Town’s Wes Burns beat Dan Butler on the right before seeing his near-post strike palmed out for a corner by Posh’s Christy Pym.

A nice move in the 28th minute between Mark Duffy, Glenn Whelan and Ched Evans saw the latter win a corner down the right, but James Hill’s centre proved far too deep and a waste.

At the other end, meanwhile, good link-up play between Nathan Thompson and Szmodics saw the striker go down in the area under the challenge of Sam Stubbs, but the referee waved play on.

Town goalkeeper Alex Cairns was finally involved in the action five minutes before the break as he got down well to deny Jonson Clarke-Harris’ low drive.

An excellent chance fell to Josh Morris moments later following a ricochet on the edge of the Peterborough area, but the bounce of the ball got the better of him and his tame volley was easy for Pym. After the break Frankie Kent received the game’s first caution after clattering into Stubbs in the 50th minute.

Five minutes later a crunching tackle by Whelan floored two home midfielders in the centre circle and created space for Camps on the left.

He duly found Josh Morris, who earned a corner. Duffy played it short to Morris and his cross was expertly dispatched from 20 yards on the volley by Camps, leaving Pym with no chance to his bottom left.

There was a let-off for the Cod Army in the 63rd minute as the hosts won their first corner. Louis Reed fizzed the ball into the area and it was met by the on-rushing Kent, but his header flew inches wide.

Barton’s men used the same corner routine 15 minutes from time, but the ball was cleared to Whelan 35 yards out this time. He found Evans, who produced a cross under pressure but substitute Paddy Madden headed over from close range.

Trickery from Sririki Dembele on the left with ten minutes to go created space for Posh on the left and the substitute made his way into the area.

Sam Stubbs managed to dispossess him as he prepared to pull the trigger, but the ball fell kindly for Reed on the edge of the area and his excellent volley took a deflection and landed on the roof of the net, with Cairns beaten.

Posh piled on the pressure as the game approached full-time and rewarded when Taylor volleyed home in the 91st minute. There was more despair to come, however, as Szmodics pounced with seconds remaining to send the visitors home with nothing.

Peterborough: Pym, Butler, Thompson (Mason 78), Beevers, Kent, Eisa (Dembele 46), Taylor, Clarke-Harris, Broom (Ward 58), Reed, Szmodics. Subs: Gyoalli, Burrows, Jones, Hamilton.

Fleetwood: Cairns, Andrew, Whelan, Burns, Duffy (Madden 60), Evans (Saunders 88), Camps, Morris, Coutts (Matete 74), Stubbs, Hill. Subs: Leutwiler, Boyes, Garner, Holgate.