The away side look to start the match flying and when an early foul by Gabriel Zakuani on Giles Coke results in a free-kick, Chris Maguire floats the set piece into the box finding Steve Howard who can only head over the crossbar. The match sees its second free-kick awarded 7mins later when Alex Pritchard also fouls Coke in midfield. Not wanting to let the game get away from them quickly, the Posh have a shot at goal on the 9th minute - Lee Tomlin forcing Chris Kirkland into the save before Dwight Gayle looks to scramble the ball over the line. Having beaten Kirkland, Gayle sees Miguel Llera clear the ball before it rolls into the empty net and Coke clears the resulting Grant McCann corner. An 11th minute sloppy Llera foul on Pritchard results in a free-kick that McCann takes - only for Jeremy Hélan to bring the ball clear. Only a minute later and Gayle fouls Lewis Buxton by lunging in at the full-back and is lucky not to see a yellow card. The Owls force a 13th minute corner that Maguire looks to drop into the box but its cleared with ease. Peterborough earn their own corner in the next attack when Llera defended well, Pritchard finding Tommy Rowe who's poor header goes wide. Austrian goalkeeper Robert Olejnik claims a 20th minute Rhys McCabe cross with only Howard in the box. The home side build an attack immediately and a whipped cross by Gayle into the box catches the away defence sleeping, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing having an open net to head into but for an acrobatic clearance by Danny Pugh just before the former Sheffield United loanee can finish it. With Posh in the ascendancy, a 22nd minute foul by Coke on McCann allows Michael Bostwick to deliver a shot at goal that flies over. The former Stevenage midfielder is then at fault in the 26th minute when he fouls Howard as Wednesday look to break and a long range shot by McCabe drops kindly to Coke who lashes a shot towards the bottom corner, only for Olejnik to tip the ball around the post. The resulting corner causes alarm for Posh as Olejnik and McCann almost blunder an own goal only for the ball to go for another Owls corner - cleared by Zakuani. As Wednesday win the ball back, a clattering foul by Mendez-Laing on Pugh results in a Seyi Olofinjana shot at goal which is well blocked by Bostwick. When Maguire rifles over from distance from the resulting corner, the home side breath a collective sigh of relief. A 31st minute cross by Pritchard is defended well by Buxton and when Pritchard sends in the corner, Kirkland claws away under pressure. Breaking out of a scrappy portion of the game, Mendez-Laing crosses the ball in the 37th minute and Owls captain Anthony Gardner clears before Tomlin sees the same result with his cross - this time by Llera. Fouls by Olofinjana and Maguire precede a 42nd Gayle strike at goal but the clubs top scorer is unable to eat an in-form Kirkland. The half comes to a close following an in-swinging Pugh corner that Gardner heads narrowly wide - sending the travelling fans into cheers only realising the net was rippling with the ball having gone wide.
HT. A poor first half by the visitors and Peterborough have had the better of the opening half. Wednesday look happy to play for a point and look to capitalise on their height advantage at set-pieces rather than score from open play. Tomlin, Pritchard and Gayle look lively for Posh whilst the Owls only stand-out player is right-back Buxton.
Kieran Lee replaces McCabe before the game continues and the first action is a foul by Bostwick on Maguire only 45 seconds in. A 46th minute cross by Buxton after beating 3 men is cleared by Zakuani and Pugh's resulting corner sees McCann head clear at the near post. When Gayle fouls Coke in midfield, the referee allows Peterborough to attack and a vicious shot by Jack Payne flies harmlessly over. Moments later and Gayle has a shot that beats Kirkland, again blocked by Llera a couple of yards in front of the goal-line. Peterborough forward Gayle then takes offence to Llera who pats the smaller man on the head and attempts to push the Spaniard only for Kirkland to stop any escalation between the two. The 51st minute sees a Maguire shot blocked by Zakuani following good passing football in midfield. When Pritchard fouls the hard-working Buxton in a dangerous advanced position, Wednesday have a good opportunity from a 55th minute free-kick, only for Posh to defend well and see away any danger before a tame Howard shot is smothered by Olejnik. A fantastic ball by Pritchard cuts out the whole Wednesday defence and Gayle runs onto it - but lashes at a bouncing ball and firing his left-footed shot well wide. The 58th minute sees the games first yellow card, Llera being booked for a clumsy foul on Tomlin - with the Spanish defenders hands and legs all over the tricky forward. His centre-back partner is booked shortly after too, Gardner seeing yellow for a foul on Pritchard - pulling the shirt of his opponent. The relegation threatened home side take full advantage of the set-piece when McCann shoots directly at goal with a spectacular free-kick, beating the diving Kirkland as the ball nestles into the back of the net after hitting the inside of the post. The away side look to bounce straight back and Maguire has an effort at goal after chasing a lost cause - sending his shot over the keeper but also the bar. The home fans are fractions away from celebrating a second goal almost immediately after when a fantastic Mendez-Laing cross evades everyone and a leaping Gayle is inches away from putting the ball into an empty net. Dave Jones reacts by replacing Hélan with Leroy Lita in the 66th minute. The Posh attack again and a Tomlin shot is well saved by Kirkland before Pritchard's corner is wasted. When Coke sees yellow in the 71st minute for a foul on Pritchard, McCann's free-kick is cleared and a break in play shortly after allows Gary Madine to replace Howard. Olejnik claims an Olofinjana looping header at goal before a 75th minute corner delivered by Maguire is met by Llera whose header at goal almost leaves the stadium. As the match enters the final 10mins, Tomlin has a shot from the edge of the box that flies wide and moments later Mendez-Laing is replaced by Joe Newell. Swansea loanee Lita has an 81st minute shot saved by Olejnik who parties the ball back out to the striker, only for his quick-reaction shot to fly harmlessly over. Tyrone Barnett replaces Pritchard and Kane Ferdinand replaces goalscorer McCann in a double swap by Darren Ferguson. When Buxton sees his cross attempt blocked by Newell, the ball goes out for an Owls throw - awarded by the linesman who is inches away, rather bizarrely though the referee over-rules his assistant and gives Peterborough the throw-in from their corner flag! With 87 minutes on the clock, United earn a free-kick when Kirkland is judged to have fouled Gayle and Tomlin's delivery finds Barnett who can only head wide. Hard work by Buxton in the opposing box presents a chance to Lee whose quick turn and shot is blocked - resulting in a corner that is dealt with well by the home side. Into injury time and Gayle commits yet another foul, this time on the much taller Olofinjana - deep inside the Wednesday half. When Kirkland saves a 93rd minute Barnett shot - his clearance is still in the air when the final whistle is blown, bringing with it the London Road customary pitch invasion for the last home game of the season.
FT. A hugely disappointing performance compounded by the defeat to a relegation rival again for Wednesday. Coming to a relegation threatened rival to play for a point is tactical suicide as far as this armchair fan is concerned. The Posh have earned their three points - a welcome gift that takes them out of the bottom 3 at the expense of a Hull beating Barnsley.
Attendance: 13,938
Owls Man of the Match: Lewis Buxton (by a mile he was the only one who put a shift in for the game).
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