A dramatic late equaliser from Marcus Maddison earned Posh a point at Roots Hall.
A dramatic late equaliser from Marcus Maddison earned Posh a point at Roots Hall. After going 1-0 down, the 90th minute strike from the winger continued Posh’s unbeaten run to three games.The first chance of the game fell to the energetic Maddison, who shot from just outside the box, but it was easily saved. This became a feature of the opening exchanges, with Maddison looking to probe down the right, trying to get at Southend’s Ben Coker.
The next opportunity came again to Maddison, who earned himself a free kick just outside the box, but he saw his shot fly over the crossbar.
Taylor was the next player to try his luck, shooting wide after a direct dribble. Picking the ball up in his own half, Taylor set off on the counter attack and looked to finish the move off himself, but couldn’t aim his shot on target.
After 20 minutes on the clock, Southend started to put some pressure on the Posh defence, with Michael Bostwick forced to make a clearance after a scramble in the box.
Youngster Leo Da Silva Lopes, drafted into the team in place of George Moncur, then made a direct run himself through the heart of the Southend midfield. Despite his composure with his dribble, his shot failed to match it and he dragged the ball wide of the post.
By now Taylor had let his intentions be well known, and it was him who again tried to break the deadlock with a shot from 30 yards out. Unfortunately for the away side, the Southend stop Mark Oxley only had to watch the ball sail harmlessly over the goal.
As the game entered the latter stages of the first half, it was Southend who were looking the more likely to score. A spell of possession near the posh box lead to a number of chances, the closest of which saw Stepehn McLaughlin head Jermaine McGlashan’s cross onto the top of the crossbar.
However it would be Posh who finished the half with the best chance of the game so far, and it was thanks to the same culprits. Taylor made a counter attacking run from midfield, carrying the ball to edge of the penalty area. Once there he laid it off to Maddison, whose strike hit the crossbar with the keeper beaten.
The first chance of the second half fell to the impressive Maddison. The winger was picked out by a lovely pass from Chris Forrester, but although he was only left with the rushing keeper to beat, he could only direct his shot directly at the home stopper and his effort was saved.
After this chance the momentum swung in favour of the home side. Looking to attack down both wings, the breakthrough came when they were awarded a penalty for a Maddison handball. In his efforts to track back, the ball struck the winger’s arms and the referee was quick to point to the spot.
Luke McGee saved a spot kick in the week against Shrewsbury, and repeated the heroics again, diving low to his left to keep out Anthony Wordsworth’s effort.
The pressure finally told though in the 78th minute. Another attack from the left hand side saw a cross by Simon Cox converted by Anthony Wordsworth.
And it was Cox who could have secured the points for the home team. After another cross evaded everyone, Cox had the chance to finish into an empty net, but the ball came to him at an awkward height and he couldn’t convert the chance.
With only minutes left on the clock, the dangerous Maddison broke into the box and struck low and hard across the keeper, finding the bottom corner. It was a dramatic finish but no less than he deserved, securing a point for the Posh.
Southend: Oxley, Coker, Wordsworth, Barrett, Mooney (sub Fortune 69min), McLaughlin (sub Cox 69min), McGlashan (O’Neill 88min), Leonard, Demetriou, Inniss, Ferdinand. Unused subs: Smith, White, Thompson, Atkinson.
Posh: McGee, Smith (Oduwa 87min), Hughes, Bostwick, Baldwin, Edwards, Forrester, Taylor, Maddison, Nichols (Moncur 65min), Da Silva Lopes (Moore 82min). Unused subs: Tyler, Santos, White, Chettle.
Attendance: 6,417 (495 Posh).