Sheffield Wednesday: Joy, tears and disbelief after play-off comeback

Lindsay Garner, right, said he "just can't believe" Wednesday's play-off comeback

"There were kids crying, adults crying, even I was close to it. I still can't believe we've done it."

Sheffield Wednesday fan Lindsay Garner is not the only one who left Hillsborough on Thursday night struggling to comprehend how his team have reached Wembley.

The Owls, buoyed by the roars of the home support, fought back from 4-0 down to draw level with Peterborough in the 98th minute.

Their penalty shootout win then sealed their spot in the League One play-off final and completed the greatest play-off comeback in English Football League history.

Sheffield Wednesday were roared to victory by their fans

"That is the best night in 54 years of watching Wednesday, trust me," said Mr Garner, 59, a season ticket holder, who went to the match with his son.

"It'll never happen again, never. I just can't believe it. I didn't sleep last night.

"I must admit I never thought we'd do it, but they showed so much passion and they deserved everything they got last night. It were absolutely brilliant."

Martyn Ware, who went to his first Wednesday match in 1968, said he had "never experienced anything like" the comeback.

"I actually put on Facebook yesterday, all I want for my birthday is a miracle - and I got it," said the musician, a founder of Sheffield new wave band Heaven 17.

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17 said Wednesday's win was a "miracle"

Mr Ware said he thought before the match that the Owls had "no chance" but "when we scored, the entire ground thought we could do this".

He added: "It was just sheer force of will."

Maxine Wigfield, 63, who went to the match with her family, said it was "something I will never forget".

"The atmosphere was brilliant," she said. "From start to finish, walking back, cars beeping, everybody singing. I'm still up there, I can't come down. I'm just on a high, walking round with big beady eyes thinking 'oh my God what did we do last night?'. It's just incredible, absolutely incredible."

Ben, Maxine and Alan Wigfield all went to the match

Being at the game was a "dream moment", said Grant Slimm, 49, who was proudly wearing a Wednesday tracksuit top as he shopped in Hillsborough on Friday morning.

"I don't think it's sunk in, I don't think it'll ever sink in," he said.

"There will never, ever be another team that does that. That's our team what did it, our team. I feel proud, couldn't be prouder."

Wednesday, who slipped out of the automatic promotion spots after a poor run of form in the last weeks of the season, had been widely written off after their thumping first-leg defeat. No team had come back from more than two goals down in play-offs.

"After the other week's performance, everyone was expecting the same," said Bob England, 67. "But the fans stuck with them. Last night it was booming, wasn't it? Absolutely booming."

Bob England said the fans had stuck by Wednesday

Mr Slimm said: "As a Wednesday fan you never stop believing, that's how it is. The amount of fans what turned up yesterday, it just shows how much passion we put behind that team. Put that together with the team and what do you come up with? Amazing results."

Artist and musician Pete McKee could not go to the match because he was rehearsing with his band, the Everly Pregnant Brothers, and watched it with bandmates in a pub - full of Sheffield United fans.

While he would have loved to have been at Hillsborough "because when it's buzzing there's no finer place on Earth to be," watching the match among rivals did not take the sheen off victory.

"We were over-celebrating every single goal, it was a great atmosphere for us," McKee said. "We celebrated last night to the point where we've got no energy left today."

Pete McKee said the win had left him "smiling from ear to ear"

The artist said he had been "smiling from ear to ear" since the match finished, adding: "We've experienced some good times, briefly, but this one has eclipsed everything. It's emotional."

Wednesday fans are now savouring the prospect of a Wembley final against South Yorkshire rivals Barnsley, who face Bolton in the second leg of their play-off on Friday night.

Mr Garner said: "I think Wednesday and Barnsley would be a reyt good advert for South Yorkshire, it'd be brilliant. Local rivals in a play-off final, it's never happened before has it?"

However, with many supporters having written off the Owls' chances of getting to the final, some face logistical hurdles in getting to London for the match on 29 May.

Sheffield Wednesday could face Barnsley in the play-off final

Mr Ware is scheduled to fly away on a family holiday just as the game kicks off.

"I said to the wife if we book this, Wednesday will get to Wembley. So I told her to book it," he said. "It'll be a hard conversation to have."

Wednesday fan Lewis Mittoo, 17, said he was thinking of cancelling a trip to Spain so he could go to Wembley.

"For me it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, one of my dreams come true," he added.