Fleetwood Town narrowly lost out on Good Friday as Peterborough United scored a last-minute goal to win 1-0 at Highbury.
Both sides managed to create multiple chances throughout the game that tested both goalkeepers, but neither was able to find the back of the net on a sunny afternoon on the Fylde Coast until late on when Jonson Clarke-Harris netted a free-kick from the edge of the Fleetwood box.
The game started off at a quick pace, with the first chance falling to the visitors. Four minutes in, Jonson Clarke-Harris received the ball inside a crowded Fleetwood box, managed to turn and pull off a strike towards goal, but Alex Cairns was a match to it, making a big save in the early stages.
A couple of half-chances quickly followed as Town earned a free-kick 20-yards out, with Kyle Vassell trying his luck, but the effort hit the wall. Soon after, Peterborough were on the attack with Sammie Szmodics, who crossed the ball into Clarke-Harris but his header went wide of the target,
The next big chance was on the half-hour mark as Ged Garner did well to get between Daniel Butler and Frankie Kent on the right, before shaping up a shot on goal, which was saved by the diving Christy Pym.
With five minutes to go in the first half, the ball fell to Joran Rossiter on the edge of the Posh box and the midfielder tried an audacious volley, which was deflected into the path of Garner, but his shot was straight at the goalkeeper.
As half-time was looming, Town managed to create one last chance through Garner, as he worked half a yard and had a shot inside the opposition box, but it was deflected into the path of Burns, but his effort flew over the crossbar from close range.
Both sides came out in the second half looking to control, which meant that chances were at a premium. The first major chance of the half fell to Sam Finley 20-yards out, who powered a strike towards the Peterborough goal, but Pym managed to get his body behind it and push it wide.
A valiant defensive effort from the Fleetwood backline helped keep Peterborough away from Cairns’ goal, and even pushed the side into a counterattack as Vassell earned the side a free-kick 20-yards out. The forward dummied a run before Andrew just dragged his shot wide of the far post.
A minute later, Fleetwood came close to breaking the deadlock as Dan Batty slipped Andrew in on the left-wing, whose effort got a deflection and ends up hitting the crossbar. From the resulting corner, a couple of forwards jumped up but the Posh managed to get the ball clear.
Peterborough found the back of the net just before added time as Clarke-Harris struck a free-kick with venom from 20-yards into the bottom left corner, giving his side the lead and all three points in the game.
Town XI: Cairns (GK), Andrew, Connolly (C), Burns, Rossiter (McKay 90'), Vassell, Finley (Camps 74’), Batty, Garner (Saunders 74’), Holgate, Hill.
Subs not used: Coleman (GK), Donacien, Biggins, Rydel.
Posh XI: Pym (GK), Butler, Thompson, Beevers (C), Kent, Clarke-Harris, Brown (Taylor 61’), Reed (Hamilton 90'), Szmodics, Burrows (Dembele 61’), Ward.
Subs not used: Gyollai (GK), Eisa, Kanu, Mason.