Last-gasp Carabao Cup defeat for Peterborough United, but it was exactly what they deserved as even the big guns didn't fire

Jamie Reed’s first-time finish after Posh had been opened up down the left side of their defence in the 92nd minute sent the home side deservedly through to the third round.

Posh started with a virtual back-up side, but sent one some big guns for the final half an hour so and yet were still second best to a Stevenage side which also featured many players not familiar with first-team football this season.

And while most of those Posh fringe players did themselves no good in their hope of a first-team call-up any time soon, those sent on to power the side to victory were also way below par.

Both managers were true to their word, making 17 changes between them for the EFL’s flagship cup competition.

Posh gave a first start to goalkeeper Will Blackmore and, perhaps surprisingly, midfielder Jack Taylor was one of the two first-team regulars to keep his place. Taylor’s hamstrings must now be in good order and he tested them early chasing a breakaway and taking a second minute booking for a cynical trip and soon afterwards with a shot from 25 yards that flew a similar distance over the crossbar.

Stevenage boss Steve Evans started all three of his former Posh players as goalkeeper Aaron Chapman and centre-back Michael Bostwick were promoted to join first-team club captain Carl Piergianni, who played all of two minutes for his hometown club before moving on. Evans signed forward David Amoo today and plunged him straight into the team.

Posh started with wing-backs and youngster Charlie O’Connell in the middle of a back three. He had Josh Knight and Frankie Kent, the other Saturday survivor, either side of him. Knight conceded the free kick that Jake Reeves blasted over the bar from 20 yards.

Kent should have opened the scoring in the 12th minute from a slick free kick routine, but he sidefooted wide from close range.

Joe Tomlinson then made a terrific tackle inside the penalty area on the lively Amoo before Luther Wildin forced Blackmore to tip over a 20 yarder from Luther Wildin.

A break from Jones after an errant home pass led to Taylor curling over again from the edge of the penalty area.

Stevenage carried an obvious threat from set-pieces with Peiergianni and Dan Sweeney both going close. Free kicks were no easier for Posh and Amoo couldn’t quite reach a Piergianni knockdown just past the half hour mark.

Posh were second best for most of the first half, but Poku and Tomlinson did engineer half a chance for the former, but his close range shot was deflected over the crossbar.

Jack Taylor was replaced by Jeando Fuchs for the second-half, presumably to ensure against a red card.

It was more of a surprise to see Jonson Clarke-Harris, Jack Marriott and Ben Thompson enter the fray 10 minutes into the second-half. McCann must have been fed up watching Posh fail to get out of their own half for 10 minutes. The starting front three were all removed.

It almost paid off immediately with Marriott latching onto a David Ajiboye header and sliding Clarke-Harris in for a tap-in, but he was offside.

Blackmore rescued Posh with a save from Saxon Earley just past the hour mark as Stevenage continued to set the pace. Kent arrived in the nick of time at several home corners and when Amoo looked set to pull the trigger.

Posh did finally gather a head of steam up for the final stages after Joe Ward had also been sent on. Ward and Knight combined down the right six minutes from time with the former delivering a trademark low cross that Marriott couldn’t divert past Chapman or Wildin from three close-range attempts. Disappointingy from a Podh point of view iIt was Chapman’s first involvement in the game.

Blackmore, one of the few to garnish their reputation, then kicked away a low Jordan Roberts shot which seemed set to send the tie to penalties.

But Stevenage kept pressing and one more decisive pass down the right wing saw a cut-back which Jamie Reed converted.

It was no more than Stevenage deserved, and certainly no less than Posh deserved.

Posh: Will Blackmore, Joe Tomlinson (sub Joe Ward, 68 mins), Charlie O’Connell, Frankie Kent, Josh Knight, David Ajiboye, Hector Kyprianou, Jack Taylor (sub Jeando Fuchs, 46 mins), Ricky-Jade Jones (sub Jack Marriott, 55 mins), Kwame Poku (sub Ben Thompson, 55 mins) Joe Taylor (sub Jonson Clarke-Harris, 55 mins).

Unused subs: Will Lakin, Ronnie Edwards, Nathan Thompson, Harrison Burrows.

Stevenage: Aaron Chapman, Luther Wildin, Carl Piergianni, Michael Bostwick (sub Terence Vancooten, 83 mins), Dan Sweeney, Dean Campbell (sub Arthur Read, 70 mins), Jake Taylor, Jake Reeves, Saxon Earley, Jamie Reid, David Amoo (sub Jordan Roberts, 67 mins).

Unused subs: Taye Ashby-Hammond, Max Clark, Luke Norris, Jack Smith.

Goals: Stevenage – Reid (90 + 2 mins).

Cautions; Posh – Jack Taylor (foul), Knight (foul).

Stevenage – Taylor (foul).

Referee: Chris Pollard 6

Attendance: (to follow).