The reasons Peterborough United fans can be optimistic ahead of Sheffield Wednesday play-off clash

Momentum

It is true that Wednesday have won their last four games and did in fact get Posh to this point with victory over Derby last weekend, but Posh have plenty of momentum of their own.

In Darren Ferguson’s 22 matches in charge, Posh have won 13, drawn three and lost six, taking 42 points and scoring 35 times. In the same timeframe, Wednesday have won 15, drawn five and lost 3, taking 41 points and also scoring 35 times. So, the sides have been very evenly matched in 2023.

Sunday was one of the great Posh away days and the players all stepped up, especially Harrison Burrows, who was drafted back into the team at the unnatural position of left back and he defended well and set up both goals. If they carry that confidence through, Posh will be a force to be reckoned with.

Pressure

It is definitely all on Wednesday. It is likely that Darren Moore's job is hanging on getting the club - who would have been eyeing up the title just a few weeks ago - back into the Championship.

He has already tried and failed to do it before, namely last season, when the Owls were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Sunderland in last season’s play-off semi-final.

At the beginning of March this season, they were in pole position to go up as champions, but then went winless in six (four draws, two defeats), a run they were not able to recover from to miss out on second place by two points.

Forest Green won only one of their last 25 games, that win was against Sheffield Wednesday at the end of March. It goes to show that they are not immune to pressure.

From where Posh were when Darren Ferguson arrived, the play-offs are almost a bonus and will that make Posh more relaxed and dangerous?

No fear

Posh don’t need to fear their opponents. in fact, if the two games this season were a combined play-off tie, Posh would have won 2-1, courtesy of their 2-0 home win in August. Even in the Hillsborough defeat in March, Posh defended well, missed a glorious one-on-one chance and conceded from a cross that took an enormous deflection off Nathan Thompson.

In that first half, Barry Bannan, who is the best player in League One despite a recent awards ceremony, was completely anonymous, before admittedly improving markedly in the second, but Posh now have a fully-fit and firing Ollie Norburn, along with Jack Taylor and Hector Kyprianou to help win that midfield battle.

Wednesday may have amassed a club record (and EFL competition record for a team not going up automatically) 96 points, but the fact that was only enough for third highlights the lack of quality in the division across the board as well as the Owls’ own strength. Cambridge managed to stay up despite losing 26 times. Portsmouth and Wycombe did better than most, but in truth, Bolton, Posh and Derby were the only three teams that stood any realistic chance of taking one of the final two paly-off spots.

The fans

Posh fans at matches have been magnificent throughout the campaign and made all the difference at Barnsley. They will be needed again, especially at what is likely to be a 34,000+ crowd at Hillsborough.

The impact of Posh’s fans at London Road shouldn’t be forgotten though. Who could forget the atmosphere Posh fans created at home to Milton Keynes in 2011? Recreate that and anything seems possible. Wednesday fans have the entirety of the 2,400 capacity DESKGO stand for Friday night, but Posh fans will still have more than five times the amount in the ground so there will be no excuses for being outsung.

Darren Ferguson

He’s seen it all before. Three times he has been promoted out of this division and once via the play-offs. That was of course in 2011 when Yorkshire side Huddersfield had amassed a then mammoth points total of 87 and were heavy favourites for promotion, only to be beaten by Posh in the final.

By contrast, Darren Moore has no trophies to his name and Ferguson’s vast experience of five career promotions could hand Posh a crucial edge.

The game

If Posh score first, in either game, history suggests they have a good chance. You have to go back to Wycombe away on October 15 for the last league game Posh scored first in and did not win (a 3-1 defeat). From losing positions, Posh have taken just seven points all season (Cheltenham away, Accrington home and Charlton away) so starting fast again is imperative.

Wednesday won 16 and lost just one of their 23 League One home games this season. They won 16 and only lost two in the 2021-22 season and didn’t go up.

It’s a formidable record though, but the large and pristine pitch at Hillsborough should suit Posh, as it will provide space for their technicians and allow the wingers to get wide and cause problems.