Peterborough United were inferior in all departments again against Championship standard opponents, naivety, tiredness and now an urgent need to go on an unlikely long winning streak

Sheffield Wednesday will be playing at that level next season and they already look equipped to do okay.

The Owls wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but that’s so true of so many teams who play in the second tier.

There’s little quality, or desire for entertainment, but power, strength, speed of thought, defensive organisation, size and ability from set-pieces are standard Championship requirements and, in every department at Hillsborough on Saturday, Posh were far inferior to their hosts.

Posh passed the ball in prettier triangles for 45 minutes before inevitably running aground against League One’s most miserly defence. And Wednesday even outplayed Posh in that aspect once Barry Bannon put a dismal first-half, by his lofty standards at least, behind him to deliver the contest’s classiest moments, including the incisive pass that sent wing-back Jaiden Brown scurrying unmolested into the penalty area to score with a deflected cross.

Posh barely laid a glove on Wednesday in 96 minutes. Three off-target shots and zero corners (they did win one in the first-half which the officials laughably decided was a throw-in instead) suggested home goalkeeper Cameron Dawson could have safely taken a book out to read in the second-half.

TALKING POINTS FROM HILLSBOROUGH...

1) Bannon must be the best player in League One and at a reported £25k a week in wages he probably ought to be. Posh were marginally the better side when Bannon was off his game in the first-half, but he was outstanding after the break when Wednesday completely dominated the game.

2) Posh did give Dawson one anxious moment in the second-half when a precise through ball from Harrison Burrows sent Kwame Poku through on goal and yet the visiting members of the press didn’t fancy him to score. The ball was stuck on a right foot he only appears to use in an emergency, but instead of opening himself up and trying to convert with his favoured foot he just ran in a straight line and was caught by chasing defenders before he even got a shot away. Also, as manager Darren Ferguson said, Poku should have made sure he stayed between the ball and the pursuing players and thus drawn a foul and maybe a penalty or a red card. It was naivety on the 21 year-old’s part.

3) On the other flank Ephron Mason-Clark has looked knackered in the last two games. He probably needs a breather, but that would be a brave move as Ricky-Jade Jones lacks match sharpness. Even switching wings for Poku and playing Joe Ward on the right isn’t that appealing.

4) Jonson Clarke-Harris scored so many goals in the last Posh promotion season by darting towards the near post to meet Ward crosses. Posh never score that sort of goal any more. The ball is rarely crossed quickly and Clarke-Harris, whose commitment was again excellent yesterday, doesn’t seem as mobile.

5) Results elsewhere ensured this defeat wasn’t that damaging, but Posh can’t challenge the top six without stringing together six or seven wins in a row. Tuesday looks tough against a doughty Shrewsbury team, but Posh would hope to prevail at home. After that it’s Cheltenham, Burton and Lincoln City which all look winnable on paper. The last two are away, but Posh have started to win on the road. One concern is they haven’t won more than three League One games in a row all season.

6) One positive from Hillsborough, other than the midfield control of the first-half, was the performance of centre-backs Frankie Kent and Ronnie Edwards through out. They were comfortable on the ball and coped well with the physical threat of a giant team. Josh Knight already has cause to regret his reckless the moment against Charlton.