Summary

  • Two goals in each half see Peterborough stun Sheff Wed

  • Taylor, Ward, Poku & Clarke-Harris with the goals

  • Owls finished third on 96 points - EFL record for team not going up automatically

  • Posh leapfrogged Derby on final day to seal last play-off spot on 77 points

  • Second leg at Hillsborough on Thursday (20:00 BST)

  • Bolton v Barnsley in other semi-final, first leg on Saturday (15:00 BST)

  • Winners will meet in Wembley final on 29 May

  • Predict your three play-off winners using #bbcefl

  1. 'Wednesday can test Posh in air'published at 21:39 British Summer Time 12 May 2023

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Gaby Zakuani
    Ex-Peterborough defender on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

    I'm surprised Sheffield Wednesday have taken this long to send more aerial balls in.

    Even their manager is massive, so I'm surprised Darren Moore isn't telling them to pump balls into the box, which has been a weakness for Peterborough. They can really test Posh that way.

  2. Postpublished at 76 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Bit of a delay here as Posh goalkeeper Will Norris is down getting some treatment.

    He's back on his feet and thumps it down the pitch.

  3. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 21:37 British Summer Time 12 May 2023

    Tweet using #bbcefl or Text 81111 (UK standard rates apply)

    Richard, Great Yarmouth: Some people criticise the play-offs but I think it's a great system. Peterborough are the better team now. Not after breakfast, not tomorrow, but now!

    Anon: I've never been in favour of play-offs. As others have said, the league is just that - not three cup games. Three up, three down - end of, and it should be the same in the National league. If you want to add a bit of spice, have fourth against fourth-from-bottom in the higher division in a one-off game for a potential fourth-place promotion.

    Craig: Not surprised at all to see a great start by the Posh. They're the form team with previous over Wednesday - and a play-off specialist in charge, in Darren Ferguson.

  4. Postpublished at 74 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Sheff Wed dejectedImage source, Rex Features

    Posh hack it off the line again.

    A deep free-kick is met by Michael Ihiekwe at the back post but Jack Taylor is there to boot it away.

  5. Postpublished at 71 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Just on that penalty claim from Sheffield Wednesday there.

    There is no video assistant referee for the play-off semi-finals but there will be for all three finals.

    As it stands, it looks likely that Peterborough will be in the League One final two weeks on Monday.

  6. PENALTY APPEALpublished at 70 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    The Owls are adamant they should have a penalty!

    A free-kick is floated to the back stick and kept in play for Marvin Johnson to fire towards goal.

    It looks like it might well hit Ronnie Edwards' elbow but the referee can't see it, so he can't give it.

    Michael Ihiekwe's effort is smuggled off the line from the resultant corner.

  7. '3-0 isn't the tie sealed'published at 21:29 British Summer Time 12 May 2023

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Gaby Zakuani
    Ex-Peterborough defender on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

    I don't think Darren Ferguson will change players for the second leg if this is the result tonight.

    You can't afford to rest anyone in a game like that. Maybe he will if that game is going their way. 3-0 isn't sealed by any stretch, going to Hillsborough.

  8. Postpublished at 66 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    If you'd said to me at quarter to eight this evening that Sheffield Wednesday would be 3-0 down inside an hour I would... probably not have believed you.

    It's basically all gone right for the home side tonight and everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong for the Owls.

    The second leg is still to come of course but on this form you would not give them a chance of overcoming a three-goal deficit.

  9. YELLOW CARDpublished at 63 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Kwame Poku blots his copybook for the evening with a yellow card for pulling Lee Gregory down on the halfway line.

  10. 'Smith substitution no surprise'published at 21:24 British Summer Time 12 May 2023

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Brian Laws
    Ex-Sheff Wed manager on BBC Radio Sheffield

    The problem is the number of times that Wednesday give the ball back to Peterborough with a poor touch when they get into the final third.

    Michael Smith has been as guilty of that as anyone. It didn't surprise me, unfortunately, to see him come off. He's been on form in terms of goals but he's been way off in terms of his approach play.

    When you're 3-0 down, you've got to somehow get a goal back. Peterborough are getting their wingers so wide that they're pushing Sheffield Wednesday's wing-backs right back.

  11. SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 62 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    ManagersImage source, Rex Features

    Right, now Wednesday take off Michael Smith for Dennis Adeniran.

    Not sure why Darren Moore didn't just make a double sub three minutes ago rather than waste a second sub window like this?

  12. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 21:22 British Summer Time 12 May 2023

    Tweet using #bbcefl or Text 81111 (UK standard rates apply)

    James Campbell: The play-offs are entertaining and the team that shows the most hunger and determination will go through. You have two games to prove you are a better team.

    Alan Coulthard: It will be a scandal if a poor team like Peterborough, who lost nearly three times as many games as the Owls, eliminate Wednesday, who finished a massive 19 points ahead of them.

    Rodney Marshall: It should be a marathon, not an (artificially created) sprint.

    I did not expect to see so many people not in favour of the play-offs... Are you ALL Wednesday fans?

  13. SUBSTITUTIONpublished at 59 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Owls boss Darren Moore had to do SOMETHING and in this case that something is bring on Lee Gregory for Callum Paterson.

    He'll go up top with Michael Smith and Josh Windass will go in just behind I would venture.

  14. Postpublished at 58 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    You know it's going badly for your side when the home fans are giving every pass an 'Ole!' after 58 minutes...

  15. Postpublished at 56 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Dear, dear, dear me.

    Jonson Clarke-Harris gets his head on the free-kick at the back post but it goes over the bar.

    Wednesday in danger of being blown away.

  16. 'Fallen apart for Wednesday'published at 21:17 British Summer Time 12 May 2023

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Brian Laws
    Ex-Sheff Wed manager on BBC Radio Sheffield

    Sheff Wed dejectedImage source, Getty Images

    It's turning into a shambles. I'm really feeling for Darren Moore on that touchline, seeing his team in front of him.

    To all intents and purposes, they set out to attack this team with three strikers. He's put all his eggs in his basket to take the game to Peterborough, but it's just fallen apart.

    There's no other option but for Wednesday to score next, otherwise there's really no way back. If they can get a goal back, they can have a real go at them at Hillsborough. Peterborough are smelling blood, they really are.

  17. YELLOW CARDpublished at 54 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    And now Michael Ihiekwe is booked for the Owls.

    Kwame Poku gets the better of him and heads for the area and the Owls defender just drags him back.

  18. YELLOW CARDpublished at 54 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Sheffield Wednesday defender Aden Flint is booked for a foul on Kwame Poku on the halfway line.

    Daft.

  19. 'Poku couldn't miss'published at 21:15 British Summer Time 12 May 2023

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    Gaby Zakuani
    Ex-Peterborough defender on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

    Brilliant play there from Ephron Mason-Clark. The ball was bouncing and he managed to somehow get the accuracy on the cross towards the far post, where Kwame Poku had just the keeper to beat.

    Usually you want Jonson Clarke-Harris on that, but Poku couldn't miss from there.

  20. Postpublished at 53 mins

    Peterborough 3-0 Sheff Wed

    There's a lot of finger-pointing and arms being thrown up in the air from Sheffield Wednesday players at the moment.

    They're going to bring striker Lee Gregory on to try and get back into this.

    As it stands this could be semi-final could be all-but over as a contest tonight.