A look ahead to Friday night’s play-off first leg tie with Sheffield Wednesday at the Weston Homes Stadium (8pm).
Peterborough United welcome Sheffield Wednesday to the Weston Homes Stadium on Friday evening (8pm) for the first leg of the Sky Bet League One play-off semi-finals with Darren Ferguson’s men coming up against Darren Moore’s Owls side, who finished third in the final standings with an impressive tally of 96 points.
Posh moved into the play-off positions on the final day with an excellent 2-0 victory at Barnsley while the Owls defeated Derby County 1-0 at Hillsborough. Posh won the home league game against the Owls 2-0 thanks to goals from Jonson Clarke-Harris and Jack Taylor, while a Nathan Thompson own goal gave Wednesday the win at Hillsborough earlier this year.
TEAM NEWS
Posh will be without the services of defender Nathanael Ogbeta, who has returned to Swansea City for treatment on a thigh injury. He has been ruled out for up to two months. Fellow full-back Nathan Thompson is also not available for Friday night’s meeting due to an ankle injury, but he has a chance of making the second leg next Thursday evening.
Ronnie Edwards has been named in the England under 20 squad for the upcoming World Cup in Argentina but will be able to feature in the play-offs. The Owls have Josh Windass back in their squad after injury and he is expected to lead the line alongside Michael Smith, who enters the play-offs in fine form.
ONE TO WATCH
Barry Bannan (pictured below) is arguably the most talented player in League One and was shortlisted for the Player of the Season alongside Jonson Clarke-Harris and the eventual winner Aaron Collins. Bannan is a midfield play-maker, a threat from set-pieces in terms of delivery and will be a key component to making the visitors tick.
FROM THE GAFFER
“Darren Moore and Sheffield Wednesday have had a great season and to amass 96 points is a tremendous return and an indication of how well they have done. We go into the game with a little bit of momentum and we are looking forward to the game. It promises to be a great atmosphere under the lights. The fans can really play their part. They were magnificent at Barnsley on Sunday and we need them again,” Darren Ferguson said.
TICKET NEWS
The game is heading for a complete sell-out. Sheffield Wednesday fans will be in the Deskgo Stand and have sold out their allocation of around 2,500. There are limited tickets available for home supporters, which are available at www.theposhtickets.com and via the Weston Homes Stadium Box Office.
POSH+
Because the game is live on Sky Sports, we are unable to stream the fixture via Posh+ in the UK, however overseas subscribers can watch the action with match passes available for £10.
PLAYED FOR BOTH
There have been a number of players to have performed for both clubs including promotion-winning Posh skipper Mark Beevers (pictured below left), striker Jack Marriott and winger Nathaniel Mendez-Laing (pictured below middle). Among the others to have played for both include;
Mark McKeever, Saido Berahino, Ian Hendon, Guy Branston, Guy Whittingham, Graham Hyde, Lloyd Isgrove, James Quinn, Danny Sonner, Marcus Williams, Wayne Andrews and George Boyd (pictured below right).
CLASSIC CONTEST
Posh beat Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 at the Weston Homes Stadium earlier in the season thanks to goals from Jonson Clarke-Harris (pictured below) and Jack Taylor. You can watch highlights of that victory here.
KIT COLOURS
Posh will be wearing the blue home kit for the fixture.
MATCH COVERAGE
If you can’t make the game, you can follow all of the action in a number of ways.
- Live match updates on our official Twitter feed @theposh.
- Behind the scenes coverage and updates on our official Instagram story.
- Keep up to date with minute-by-minute updates on our Live Match Centre here.
- Download the official Peterborough United app to get all of the action direct to your smartphone.
LIVE ON SKY
The game is live on Sky Sports Football. Garry Weaver and Don Goodman are the commentators. The coverage is hosted by Michelle Owen with guests Jobi McAnuff and Plymouth Argyle boss Steven Schumacher.
MAN IN THE MIDDLE
The match referee is Anthony Backhouse.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Supporters are advised to arrive in plenty of time for kick-off with the turnstiles set to open at 6.30pm.
With a capacity crowd expected, fans are also advised to leave extra time for their journey with car parking around the stadium and surrounding areas limited due to the live TV broadcast.
Fans are also reminded that it is a criminal offence to enter the field of play. In addition to that, the club may receive sanctions for pitch incursions, which could include a hefty fine. Anyone entering the field of play will also receive sanctions from the club. For your safety and the safety of the players and officials, please stay in the stands.