A Sam Parkin penalty rescued a point for Swindon as Peterborough had to settle for a 1-1 draw.

Peterborough had rarely been tested in the first half and the closest chance for the home side fell to Eric Sabin who contrived to head out for a throw-in from deep inside the six-yard box.

Posh looked marginally the better side with man-of-the-match David Farrell covering every inch of the park and making several important blocks at the back while proving a nuisance to the Swindon rearguard at the other end.

Peterborough goalkeeper Daniel Connor almost gifted the home side the lead when he erratically punched a simple cross but inept finishing and a decisive clearance by David Farrell spared his embarrassment.

Although Swindon were the busier of the two sides after the restart, Jimmy Bullard was unlucky for the visitors when his fierce direct free-kick from fully 30-yards out scraped the paint off Bart Griemink's crossbar.

Controversial penalty

It was former West Ham man Bullard that gave Posh the lead after 72 minutes against the run of play.

A hefty clearance by Adam Newton found the highly rated midfielder in acres of room, 50 yards from goal.

He coolly strode round three Swindon defenders to tuck the ball wide of Griemink for his third goal of the season.

Swindon controversially replied within five minutes from the penalty spot, when leading scorer Parkin added to his 11-goal tally after Sabin was adjudged to have been brought down.

The Robins could have grabbed a last-ditch winner when on-loan Johnnie Jackson fired yet another direct free-kick well wide.

Swindon: Griemink, Gurney, Duke, Heywood, Reeves, Hewlett, Miglioranzi, Jackson, Sabin, Parkin, Invincibile. Subs: Farr, Edds, Willis, Robinson, Young.

Peterborough: Connor, Gill, Jelleyman, Rea, Edwards, Newton, Bullard, Shields, Farrell, Lee, Fenn. Subs: Pearce, Lee Clarke, Danielsson, Laurie, Tolley.

Referee: M Fletcher (Worcestershire)