Sheffield Wednesday march on as their crazy unbeaten run extends in scrappy Peterborough United win

The opening stages were a bit cagey… Wednesday had a spell of possession as they looked to assert themselves on the game, and could have done so if it wasn’t for some good defending to clear the ball after Liam Palmer and Michael Smith combined well down the right. Smith’s cutback, however, was dealt with as Josh Windass tried to capitalise.

Peterborough then had their own period, with the game ebbing and flowing either way without any real chances falling the way of the two sides… But Nathaneal Ogbeta and Ephron Mason-Clark were causing problems with their quick feet, keeping Dominic Iorfa and Palmer on their toes.

The first big opportunity fell the way of Wednesday, though. In a corner routine seemingly straight out of Simon Ireland’s set piece playbook, Windass peeled away from his man and was found by a low Barry Bannan cross. He struck his shot well, but watched it cannon off the crossbar and back into the box. Desperately unlucky.

Peterborough set out their stall early, and despite playing some nice football in parts they often looked to be playing for time – groans began from the stands over the time taken to restart the game, and there were frustrations on the pitch as well.

Aden Flint was booked as the Posh broke, and then Barry Bannan followed him into the book not long afterwards after a crunching tackle midway into Wednesday’s half.

The officials were booed as they left the field at half time, with Jaden Brown hobbling off behind them after going down with an injury as the whistle blew.

It felt like Darren Moore had steadied them at the break, and – unchanged – they came out firing. Within 10 minutes Aden Flint had one cleared off the line and Windass saw his effort saved by Will Norris.

They kept turning the screw, and the momentum was in their favour. They just needed to make their possession count.

And then they did.

Brown and Bannan had looked bright as the second half began, and they linked up again on the hour mark as the skipper slipped a delightful throughball to split the Posh backline – the wingback timed his run perfectly and whipped in a low cross that found a way past Norris.

Hillsborough erupted, the Owls’ number three celebrated, and Windass pumped his arms to the crowd as if to say, ‘Come on then, let’s get this one over the line together’.

It looks like it will go down as an own goal, but it still earned Brown a standing ovation as he left the field with just over 10 minutes to play. Jack Hunt replaced him, just over 10 minutes after Lee Gregory had come on for Michael Smith.

Moore’s side were winning their battles, getting stuck in when required, and Will Vaulks was right in the thick of things driving them on – but chances remained few and far between. Dennis Adeniran came on as the final change, replacing Palmer.

In the end it was enough. Another scrappy win, another three points, and – five months to the day since their last defeat in League One – their unbeaten run grew once more.

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