EFL Trophy clash delayed by 38 MINUTES with players forced to undergo second warm up… because of heavy RAIN
PETERBOROUGH’S EFL Trophy clash with Stevenage was halted for 38 MINUTES due to a sodden pitch.
Players went off midway through the second period after a first-half downpour left puddles – with ground staff then doing “extensive” repair work.
The teams were eventually allowed back out for a five-minute warm-up before the action resumed at 9pm.
Peterborough were leading their League One rivals 2-0 at the time – and that was the score when the final whistle eventually sounded at 9.38pm.
Most of the rain came before the break, leading to incredibly difficult conditions for moving the ball, which could hardly bounce on parts of the waterlogged surface
Players were first taken off in the 68th minute by which time the rain was actually easing.
Initially just a five-minute break was announced.
Frenzied club staff started shoving forks into the turf in a bid to help drain it.
And when the rain stopped at 8.31pm, balls could be bounced on the pitch – but only a few inches.
Fans were told three minutes later the match would resume – with staff now digging around troublesome puddles at one end.
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Referee Stephen Parkinson came out to test the the pitch – including by seeing how far he could roll the ball
Still the ball couldn’t be bounced properly – but cheers rang out from the crowd when it could be kicked more than a few yards.
And after more furious forking, players returned for what, technically, was now time added on.
Both teams began their second warm-up at 8.53pm – with play finally restarting after that.
Striker Malik Mothersille and wing-back Jack Sparkes had netted for Posh on 12 and 43 minutes – more than enough for victory.
It all led one home fan to boast on social media: “We CAN do it on a rainy Tuesday night in Peterborough.”
But some Stevenage fans had a bit of a grizzle after what was definitely more than a drizzle.
One posted: “Just as well we’ve not got a game on Saturday, they’ll all have the bloody flu after that.”