Smiling Steer holds nerve to get Posh to Wembley

Jed Steer was all smiles after saving two Wrexham penalties from Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee

Peterborough United's smiling Jed Steer says there's more to it than just simply saving spot-kicks when you are a goalkeeper in a penalty shootout.

The former Aston Villa man saved two Wrexham penalties to book a return trip to Wembley in the EFL Trophy final and a Wembley meeting with Birmingham City on 13 April - and quash the marketing men's dream of an an 'all-American' final.

That was after Posh had come from 2-0 down on the night to draw 2-2 and take the game to the supposed lottery of spot-kicks. But it is not such a lottery when your team has a keeper of 31-year-old Steer's calm, smiling presence.

Just as he did with Dean Smith's Villa to inspire his side to the Championship play-off final in 2019 - and back to the Premier League at Wembley - Steer again kept his nerve when it counted.

And, crucially, he also did his bit for Posh's penalty takers, meeting them between spot-kicks for a quick quip and a few kind words.

"Fair play to our players for showing the confidence to take one," he told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "That can be a lonely walk."

He added: "I've never had to do it, but I can only imagine the goal starts looking a bit smaller the closer you get. And I like to think a friendly face with a smile might help ease their nerves."

Darren Ferguson, who won the EFL Trophy with Wrexham as a player in 2005, and has twice won it in charge of Posh in 2014 and 2024, has the chance to become the first man to win it four times

Substitute Bradley Ihionvien, Ryan de Havilland, Harley Mills and captain Hector Kyprianou all duly scored from the spot, but Steer was also particularly pleased to play his part too by saving from Paul Mullin and Elliot Lee as Posh upturned the League One table in this Trophy semi-final.

"People say that as a keeper you're not under any pressure," he said. "But I still feel a bit of pressure on myself to step up and make a save.

"You want to make a save or make them miss. And Dan [Daniel Hutchings] our analyst, had put together a little dossier, which I'd gone through earlier in the afternoon.

"I believed I was going to save one at least. And it was fairly big that we won the coin toss and got it up the other end where there were no fans behind the goal. That was important."

Equally important was the same belief Darren Ferguson's Posh had shown earlier to come back and take the game to penalties.

"To be 2-0 down away from home, life is always going to be tough. And Wrexham are very good at what they do. They're very difficult to play against. We found that in the games against them in the league. But, with this team, we always believe we're going to get chances.

It was party time for Posh in the Principality after coming from 2-0 down on the night just to take the game to penalties

"At half-time, the gaffer said the next goal is massive. He said if we get that first one back, then the second will come whatever time - and it did."

Then came Steer's moment back in the spotlight.

It could have been so different after he was dropped earlier in the season and made available for transfer, allowing Australian Nicholas Bilokapic to become Ferguson's preferred option for over three months.

But Ferguson made the decision to switch back to Steer at the start of February.

"You want to give the manager a decision to make," Steer said.

"Things change quickly in football and you have to take the chance when it comes."