Peterborough United were unlucky losers after a strong display against promotion favourites
Peterborough United were unlucky losers in their League One match with Sheffield Wednesday at the Weston Homes Stadium on Saturday.
It finished 2-1 to the visitors who scored through an unfortunate own goal and a late set-piece. Posh had equalised through a Ben Woods header at the start of the second half and looked the better side for much of that second period. The bounce of the ball went against them in the penalty area, but they also missed a glorious late chance to equalise through debutant substitute Harry Ashfield.
Posh made three changes to the team that played out a drab 0-0 draw with Stevenage, one of them forced as the medical update provided on winger Owura Edwards proved to be false and he missed out so 17 year-old speedster Bolu Shofowoke stepped up again.
Midfielder Brandon Khela and centre-back David Okagbue were both dropped to the bench with Woods and Tom O’Connor returning to the starting line-up.
Back-up goalkeeper Collin Andeng Ndi was ill again so Bastian Smith was on the bench alongside latest signing Harry Ashfield.
Wednesday gave a full debut to their latest loan signing Davis Keiller Dunn. They have six borrowed players now.
Posh started okay and indeed more than held their own in the first-half, but were undone by the sort of defensive calamity that has become too commonplace. In the 37th minute substitute Okagbue’s pass to James Dornelly was probably ill advised as was the dithering from the full-back which led to a loss of possession.
Okagbue, who had come on early as O’Conner succumbed to injury again, recovered to block the initial shot, but the ball ran kindly to Kieran Morrison who chipped Bass. Okagbue was back to clear off the line but the ball cannoned off the unfortunate Josh Feeney and over the line.
Posh almost responded immediately with a fine first time effort from Harry Leonard from an Ethan Williams cross which hit the inside of a post before running across the goalline to safety.
Earlie Shofowoke had threatened after skipping easily past his full-back, but the visitors usually had covering defenders in position to clear.
Okagbue headed a deep Ben Woods corner just wide and captain Harry Leonard fizzed a 20 yarder just wide.
Wednesday’s best effort from their own making was an early strike from Morrison which drew a fine save from Bass.
Posh started the second half with a bang as Woods headed in Dornelly’s fine cross on 47 minutes.
Posh almost scored again on 55 minutes when a superb Mills cross was inexplicably headed back towards his own goal by Reece James, who had been tormented by Shofowoke, but the ball hit his goalkeeper Joe Lumley and rebounded to safety.
A clever corner routine saw Woods feed Jones whose shot was kicked away from close to the goal-line while Ashfield and substitute Danny Ormerod saw decent efforts curl just wide of the post.
Wednesday have riches on the substitutes bench and changing forwards helped them get up the pitch with the aid of some long goalkeeper clearances. A corner was won on 78 minutes which Yan Valery headed home at the near post, but Posh responded impressively against a team who quickly reverted to darts arts of feigned injuries and time wasting all indulged by a weak referee.
Ashfield missed his kick in front of goal after Ormerod had nodded a deep cross back across goal. Dornelly was squeezed out after he’d successfully pounced on a ball into the penalty area with a deflected short slipping straight into Lumley’s hands.
A deep cross from Mills was then fumbled by Lumley over his own goalline as time ticked towards the end of the game. Remarkably the referee instantly blew for time without extension to the seven minutes added, even though there had been a caution for delaying a re-start.
Posh (with marks out of 10): Alex Bass 7, Harley Mills 6, Tom O’Connor 6 (sub David Okagbue, 14 mins), Josh Feeney 7, James Dornelly 6, Liam Kelly 7 (sub Harry Ashfield, 74 mins), Ben Woods 7, Harrison Jones 7 (sub Brandon Khela, 74 mins), Bolu Shofowoke 7, Ethan Williams 6 (sub Danny Ormerod, 62 mins), Harry Leonard 7.
Unused subs: Bastian Smith, Evan Weir, Chris Conn-Clarke.
Wednesday: Joe Lumley, Yan Valery (sub Liam Palmer, 86 mins), Liam Cooper (sub Ernie Weaver, 46 mins), Gabriel Otegbayo, Reece James, Jaden Heskey (sub Billy MItchell, 58 mins), Barry Bannan, Callum Slattery, Kieran Morrison, Jamal Lowe (sub Mason Burstow, 58 mins), Davis Keillor-Dunn (sub Ali Al-Hamadi, 58 mins).
Unused subs: Connal Trueman, Liam Palmer, Billy Mitchell, William Grainger
Posh goals: Woods (47 mins)
Wednesday goals: Feeney (og, 37 mins), Valery (78 mins)
Posh cautions: Williams (foul), Khela (foul).
Wednesday cautions: Heskey (foul), Slattery (foul), Morrison (delaying the restart).
Referee: Andrew Humphries 5.
Attendance: 10,848 (3,910 Wednesday)