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PETERBOROUGH’S EFL Trophy clash with Stevenage was halted for more than half an hour due to a sodden pitch.
Players went off midway through the second period after a first-half downpour let 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.
Most of the rain had come before the break – leading to incredibly-difficult conditions for moving the ball.
Players were first taken off in the 68th minute – at 8.24pm – when the rain was in fact easing.
And initially just a five-minute break was announced.
Club staff soon started putting their forks into the turf in a bid to help drain it.
And when the ran stopped at 8.31pm, balls could be bounced on the pitch – but not very impressively.
Fans were told three minutes later the match would resume, with staff now digging around the London Road end of the surface.
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Referee Stephen Parkinson came out to test the the pitch – with a puddle at one end the main problem.
The ball couldn’t be bounced there – but cries of joy ran out from the crowd every time a ball was kicked more than a few yards.
And after more furious forking, players returned – in what, technically, was now time added on.
Finally both teams officially began their second warm-up at 8.53pm – with play restarting just before the hour-mark.
Striker Malik Mothersille and wing-back Jack Sparkes had netted for Posh on 12 and 43 minutes.
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