Sheffield Wednesday booked their spot in the League One play-off final in the most dramatic of circumstances, coming back from 4-0 down on aggregate to beat Peterborough on penalties.
Wednesday copped a brutal beating in the first leg of their play-off semi final as Peterborough, who went into the contest as heavy underdogs, stunned the football world.
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Roared on by a packed house at Hillsborough in Sheffield, the home side scored as early as the ninth minute thanks to a Michael Smith penalty.
One goal then became two in the 25th minute when Lee Gregory got on the scoresheet and got the travelling Peterborough fans sweating a little more nervously.
With 45 minutes remaining for Wednesday to complete the most remarkable of comebacks, Darren Moore’s side put the pedal to the floor and threw the kitchen sink at Peterborough.
Centre back Reece James got Wednesday’s third in the 71st minute, setting up a thrilling finale as Hillsborough came to life.
Despite Moore sending on several attacking subs, Peterborough continued to repel wave after wave of blue and white striped shirts.
But there was to be one final twist deep in second half stoppage time.
Wednesday midfielder Will Vaulks fired a long-range throw-in into the box which Peterborough cleared only as far as Barry Bannan who was lurking just outside the 18-yard box.
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Bannan laid the ball off to a teammate, with a cross floated up to substitute Aden Flint in the area.
He nodded it down and Liam Palmer swept the ball home into the net to spark absurd scenes as fans spilt onto the field to celebrate.
Palmer’s effort turned out to be practically the last kick of the game in normal time, as Wednesday’s 4-0 scoreline pushed the contest into extra time.
Despite the home side’s momentum, they were pegged back when Gregory conceded an own goal on the stroke of halftime in extra time.
But in a game which had already spawned so much drama, there was more yet to come as Callum Paterson scored the equaliser in the tie and Wednesday’s fifth on the night in the 112th minute.
From then on, both teams were relatively content to take it to a penalty shootout.
Wednesday skipper Bannan won the toss to decide which end the shootout would happen and who would go first as the Owls’ Michael Smith stepped up first and coolly slotted home.
Unfortunately Peterborough’s Dan Butler, who stepped up to take the visitors’ second spot kick, smacked his effort against the bar and was the only player from either side to miss.
The Owls’ Jack Hunt was the man who scored the winning penalty as Wednesday fans giddy with joy rushed onto the field to celebrate.
Considering no team in play-off history had ever overturned a deficit of three goals or more, those fans had every right to sing long into the night.
Sky Sports pundits Clinton Morrison and Don Goodman were lost for words at the incredible scenes they’d witnessed at Hillsborough.
“No one gave Sheffield Wednesday a chance, no one. At 4-0, you think the game’s over,” Morrison said.
“They didn’t show their spirit in the first leg. They were knocked down and they came back.
“Credit must go to Darren Moore. He was under huge pressure to deliver and his players have delivered. I can’t believe we’ve been here to witness this. This will go down as one of the best comebacks I’ve ever seen.”
Goodman added: “I don’t know how they’ve turned this around. Honestly, I really do not know how that has just happened. Overturning a one-goal deficit is hard enough, two is the most that anybody has ever done. But to turn over a four-goal deficit is a miracle.
“Your heart goes out to Peterborough, but you cannot help but admire the determination of this Wednesday club, players, coaching staff, owner. But those fans have driven those boys over that line.”
Sheffield Wednesday will now play either Barnsley or Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final.