Reading twice fight back to claim point at promotion-chasing Peterborough

Posted Wednesday, December 27, 2023 by PA

Reading twice battled back from behind to boost their survival bid with a 2-2 draw at promotion-chasing Peterborough.

Femi Azeez was the star man for Ruben Selles’ strugglers as he laid on Sam Smith’s first equaliser and then struck the second himself late on.

League One top scorers Posh hit the front six minutes before half-time when Josh Knight claimed his first goal of the campaign by heading in a Joel Randall corner.

Posh had two big penalty appeals ignored by referee David Rock in the first half and then saw a second goal from Hector Kyprianou disallowed for offside just before the hour.

There was soon further dismay for the home side as Reading levelled when substitute Smith squeezed the ball in off the post after being picked out by Azeez’s 63rd-minute cutback.

Only the frame of the goal prevented the Royals from completing a rapid turnaround as Azeez thundered a long-range blast against a post moments later.

Posh regained the initiative as leading scorer Ephron Mason-Clark rifled a low shot past David Button after Harrison Burrows laid the ball perfectly into his path in the 69th minute.

But it was not enough to secure success as Reading refused to roll over – and they got their reward in the 85th minute when Azeez fired home on the half-volley after Harvey Knibbs steered a Clinton Mola cross to him.