Match ends, Peterborough United 3, Bolton Wanderers 3.
Malik Mothersille scored twice as Peterborough came back from two goals down to earn a point against Bolton, who missed out on automatic promotion from League One.
Ian Evatt's side needed to win and hope promotion rivals Derby lost at home to Carlisle, with a four-goal swing in Wanderers' favour, in order to snatch second place on goal difference.
They made the perfect start, with Kyle Dempsey's header and Dion Charles' penalty putting them in control early on.
But Derby got the win they needed and Posh, who will join Bolton in the play-offs, brilliantly hit back in the second half, with Mothersille reducing the deficit and then putting the hosts ahead after Joel Randall had equalised.
Cameron Jerome then levelled for the Trotters, but it mattered little.
Bolton made the ideal start as Dempsey nodded in Randell Williams' left-wing cross and Charles' 18th goal of the season doubled their lead inside the first eight minutes.
Charles calmly slotted home from the spot after Hector Kyprianou needlessly fouled Williams near the edge of the penalty area.
Ephron Mason-Clark missed a chance to halve the deficit shortly before half-time when he fired wide after being put through by Harrison Burrows.
But Mothersille made no mistake, scoring from close range after being teed up by David Ajiboye's cross, and Randall coolly lifted the ball over keeper Nathan Baxter after being put through on goal by Mason-Clark.
Peterborough's third goal was beautifully created by Randall, who flicked the ball to Burrows and collected the return pass before crossing for Mothersille to apply the finish.
Jerome levelled by nudging in Nathanael Ogbeta's left-wing cross - the veteran striker's third goal in as many matches.
Bolton finished third in the table and will face Barnsley in a two-legged semi-final, while Posh, who finished fourth, will play Oxford United.
Line-ups
Peterborough
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 21Steer
- 2KatongoSubstituted forDornellyat 58'minutes
- 5Knight
- 4Edwards
- 3Burrows
- 22Kyprianou
- 27Collins
- 16AjiboyeSubstituted forClarke-Harrisat 81'minutes
- 14RandallBooked at 87mins
- 10Mason-ClarkSubstituted forFernandezat 88'minutes
- 18Mothersille
Substitutes
- 1Bilokapic
- 8De Havilland
- 9Clarke-Harris
- 15Olakigbe
- 20Fernandez
- 28Wakeling
- 36Dornelly
Bolton
Formation 3-1-4-2
- 1Baxter
- 2Jones
- 5Almeida SantosSubstituted forTaylorat 81'minutes
- 18ToalBooked at 73mins
- 8Sheehan
- 12Dacres-CogleyBooked at 58mins
- 22Dempsey
- 4ThomasonBooked at 61minsSubstituted forMorleyat 66'minutes
- 27WilliamsSubstituted forOgbetaat 81'minutes
- 10CharlesSubstituted forJeromeat 75'minutes
- 28CollinsSubstituted forNlunduluat 75'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Iredale
- 11Nlundulu
- 16Morley
- 17Ogbeta
- 21Taylor
- 26Ashworth
- 35Jerome
- Referee:
- Robert Madley
- Attendance:
- 11,643
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home57%
- Away43%
- Shots
- Home15
- Away11
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away4
- Corners
- Home10
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home17
- Away17
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Peterborough United 3, Bolton Wanderers 3.
Post update
Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by Aaron Morley.
Post update
Offside, Peterborough United. Harrison Burrows is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Emmanuel Fernandez (Peterborough United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Harrison Burrows with a cross.
Post update
Corner, Peterborough United. Conceded by Eoin Toal.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Jonson Clarke-Harris (Peterborough United) header from very close range is blocked. Assisted by Harrison Burrows with a cross.
Post update
Josh Knight (Peterborough United) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Daniel Nlundulu (Bolton Wanderers).
Substitution
Substitution, Peterborough United. Emmanuel Fernandez replaces Ephron Mason-Clark.
Post update
Jonson Clarke-Harris (Peterborough United) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Foul by Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers).
Booking
Joel Randall (Peterborough United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Joel Randall (Peterborough United).
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Josh Sheehan (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Ephron Mason-Clark (Peterborough United).
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Gethin Jones (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Daniel Nlundulu (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Aaron Morley.
Goal!
Goal! Peterborough United 3, Bolton Wanderers 3. Cameron Jerome (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from very close range to the top left corner. Assisted by Nathanael Ogbeta with a cross.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Aaron Morley (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Cameron Jerome.
Comments
Join the conversation
From a Wigan fan.
Personally, I’m relieved Blackpool (yes ! I know they did a 6 pointer on us !) didn’t make the play offs as I suspect they may have gone all the way BUT they can’t … so ner ! 😜
Well done both teams good luck
Hope we get the chance to do it all again for real in a couple of weeks, but Oxford and Barnsley will have something to say about that no doubt.
Would feel more confident if we could have had Bodvarsson and Mendes Gomes available, 2 players who can do the unexpected.