Peterborough United vs Huddersfield Town. Sky Bet Championship.
Weston Homes StadiumAttendance7,983.
Report and highlights from the Sky Bet Championship clash between Peterborough and Huddersfield at the Weston Homes Stadium as Jonson Clarke-Harris scored late to earn a point for the Posh on Tuesday night.
Tuesday 2 November 2021 22:59, UK
Peterborough manager Darren Ferguson saw his side produce a fine fightback to earn a 1-1 draw against Huddersfield in his 500th game in charge.
A milestone occasion looked set to end in defeat when Danny Ward gave Town the lead with 16 minutes to go, but Posh clawed themselves level courtesy of substitute Jonson Clarke-Harris' first goal since returning from a four-match ban for offensive social media posts.
Ward converted his fifth goal of the campaign from close range with a left-footed volley in the 74th minute after Sorba Thomas' corner was headed back across goal by Levi Colwill.
And unlike when the frontman found the net in the first half, there was no raised flag to cut short the celebrations on this occasion.
Ward thought he had broken the deadlock after half an hour but was adjudged to have steered the ball home from an offside position after the dangerous Duane Holmes crashed a 20-yard shot against the bar.
However, the goal that was allowed to stand was not enough to secure victory for Huddersfield, who were sitting in the Championship play-off places, as Posh came roaring back.
The hosts were incensed not to be given a penalty by referee Keith Stroud when Nathan Thompson tumbled under a Harry Toffolo challenge, but their mood soon improved.
Teenage talent Harrison Burrows delivered a sweet cross from the left with Clarke-Harris guiding a fine header past Town keeper Lee Nicholls to restore parity in the 84th minute.
And while Ferguson - now in his third spell in charge after first being appointed in early 2007 - was unable to celebrate a 225th win in the Posh, the point gained will prove valuable in their bid to avoid the drop.
They probably should have hit the front in the dying seconds of a dull first-half with Jack Taylor failing to take two opportunities to put away a Burrows free kick.
Huddersfield lost captain Jonathan Hogg to injury at the break, but they started the second period menacingly, with Ward seeing a shot beaten away by Cornell before Holmes was unable to direct a header on target from a Thomas cross.
With the visitors in the ascendancy, Ferguson took bold action with a change of formation and personnel which featured the introduction of Clarke-Harris.
They were immediately more threatening, with Burrows testing Nicholls and Sammie Szmodics firing wide from the edge of the box, but the opening goal eventually arrived at the other end courtesy of Ward.
Town chief Carlos Corebran immediately made a defensive substitution following the goal in an attempt to close out the contest, but his men couldn't hang on for maximum points as Clarke-Harris' header ensured the spoils were shared.
Peterborough's Darren Ferguson: "It was important to get something out of the game. We started it well before we allowed Huddersfield to become too comfortable and cause us problems. We then changed formation and made substitutions early in the second half which gave us more control.
"We conceded another goal from a set-piece and it wasn't even a great ball. We're losing far too many in that way and people have to take responsibility and do their jobs. But we are very strong at home and again we found a way of fighting back. We had to gamble but I'm always happy to do that when 1-0 down at home."
Huddersfield's Carlos Corberan: "In the first half we were controlling many moments of the game. The team was in a good position but at some times we did not make the right decision with the final details to create more chances. That is something we wanted to improve on in the second half by having more accuracy in our passes. Fortunately we were able to score a goal to go ahead but we then suffered in the last minutes of the game when we did not play with enough maturity.
"The game was more physical in the second half and when Peterborough put their number nine (Clarke-Harris) on the pitch he was able to win aerial challenges and they could put more balls into the box. That is exactly what happened for their goal and we are now feeling frustration because we came here to try to win the three points but we only have one."
