Peterborough United 2-2 Cardiff City: Late Aden Flint double saves Bluebirds
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Tempers flared between the two sides before the goals arrived
Defender Aden Flint scored two late goals as Cardiff City snatched a draw at Peterborough despite trailing 2-0.
Harrison Burrows and Sikiri Dembele both scored for the second time in four days as Posh scored twice in a minute.
Burrows fired the hosts ahead on 49 minutes as he wriggled free in the penalty area and blasted home before Dembele fired home just seconds later.
Flint's 83rd-minute header set up a frantic finish and he scored his second deep into stoppage time.
Cardiff had seemed set to look back and rue a manic minute after the break that saw them concede twice, only for Flint's aerial ability to rescue them in the final moments.
Both clubs were looking to build on their first victories of the season last time out, with Cardiff dominant in a 2-0 win at Blackpool, while Peterborough's injury-time double saw them stun Derby County.
A cagey opening saw chances at a premium at both ends, with Cardiff learning quickly they would not be afforded the space and freedom they had found at Bloomfield Road.
The Bluebirds did come close when Flint met Joel Bagan's well-placed cross, but the defender's header from inside the penalty area crept over the crossbar.
Both sides produced some vital blocks and interceptions to prevent clear chances.
Burrows found space on 28 minutes after Dembele's pass but dragged his shot wide for the hosts, while Ryan Giles blazed over for the visitors.
A robust challenge from Marlon Pack sparked a shoving match that in truth was the main talking point of an uneventful first period, with Pack and Flint both booked for their part in proceedings.
The game, however, was turned on its head with two goals in a minute after the break as Burrows and Dembele - rewarded with starts after scoring as substitutes against Derby - continued their fine form.
Burrows' finish was emphatic after he rode challenges in a crowded penalty area, while Dembele kept a cool head with Cardiff over-committed and stretched by Jonson Clarke-Harris' fine run.
The Bluebirds should have responded immediately, but Pack fired wide after wrong-footing goalkeeper Christy Pym.
Cardiff sent on Wales forward Kieffer Moore as the hosts defended strongly, with Flint's header from Pack's cross coming just as the Bluebirds seemed to have run out of ideas.
Moore headed wide as Cardiff pumped the ball long and looked to force a late Posh mistake but the hosts looked set to hold firm, despite a nervy five minutes of added on time where Burrows also came close to adding a third for Peterborough.
However, with almost the last kick of the game the Bluebirds levelled as Posh failed to clear with all 22 players in their penalty area and Flint headed in an unlikely leveller.
Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson said:
"I feel for my players because it feels like a defeat. A night's sleep won't make any difference to that. It's a bad result for us.
"But at the same time I'm proud of them for a really good performance that fully deserved a victory.
"It's just shame we couldn't kill Cardiff off as we had a couple of chances to do that at 2-1.
"I thought we'd seen it through but unfortunately it cost us not taking the chances."
Cardiff City boss Mick McCarthy told BBC Sport Wales:
"It certainly wasn't the intention to leave it late like that - although it wasn't the intention to start dreadfully in the second half and find ourselves 2-0 down either.
"I'm disgusted at the manner in which we conceded the two goals and we looked absolutely awful at that point.
"It was panic stations but we got ourselves something from nothing really, so I have to be delighted.
"Flinty (Aden Flint) was excellent and we know what he is capable of. We had cross after cross after cross in the last 10 minutes and you're always going to fancy Aden, Sean (Morrison) or Kieffer (Moore) if they can get up early."