FOOTBALL: MAJOR TOM

TOMMY DOHERTY made it nine wins in a row for Bristol City as they closed to within two points of leaders Plymouth.

Doherty came off the bench to score the only goal of an entertaining game at London Road.

Fellow substitute Aaron Brown, who had only been on the pitch for two minutes, sent in a hanging cross that Doherty headed under the diving body of Mark Tyler.

Both goalkeepers were involved early on, with Tyler clutching Lee Miller's header before Gareth Jelleyman tested Steve Phillips with a volley.

Luke Wilkshire cracked a 25-yarder to test Tyler, who was equal to the effort. And the home keeper took a knock when cutting out a dangerous low cross.

Peterborough rebounded from the scares and came close to finding the breakthrough, with Clive Platt's header saved by Phillips before Andy Clarke saw an effort blocked by Danny Coles. City were now under the cosh and were relieved to see Lee Peacock deflect a Curtis Woodhouse volley wide.

And from their second corner of the half Woodhouse picked out Mark Arber, but the defender sent his header off target.

The home side ended the half on top, but were unable to take the lead, Clarke and David Farrell firing wide.

It was a similar story after the break as City held on, while Posh tried everything to make their possession count. Arber produced a superb overhead kick after 50 minutes that was tipped over by Phillips.

City boss Danny Wilson felt he had to make a change 10 minutes into the second-half, taking off Miller and Wilkshire and introducing Leroy Lita and Doherty.

Lita did make a quick impact, forcing Tyler into a save when he headed Brian Tinnion's cross goalwards.

But it was still largely one-way traffic with Woodhouse volleying wide and Platt heading Clarke's centre just past the upright.

The visitors sensed that, having survived numerous close calls, the chance was still there to take the points. And they almost broke through midway through the half when Adam Newton's cross was punched away by Phillips, but only as far as Lita.

The substitute was quick to get in his shot from 20 yards, but Platt managed to get in a block. Marc Goodfellow, having scored three goals in five games since signing for City last month, had been kept quiet by the Posh defence and was replaced by Brown with 19 minutes left in the move that was to lead to the visitors' winner.

And after Doherty had scored the vital goal, he produced a vital block at the other end to keep out a Thomson effort.

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