good morning everyone –
Sheffield Wednesday could enter the history books on Thursday by becoming the club with the highest points total to not get promoted.
It’s all quite sad, really. The historic football club looked destined for a quick return to the Championship after a 23-game unbeaten run, but losses to Burton Albion and Forest Green doomed them to third place, at 96 points.
They followed that disappointment with a 4-0 loss to Peterborough in the first leg of the League One playoff semifinals, all but dooming the Owls to another year in the third tier of English football whilst chief rivals Sheffield United ascend to the apex.
And really, Sheffield Wednesday only have themselves to blame.
Darren Moore’s side looked completely lost at Weston Homes Stadium on Friday. Peterborough had six total shots on target, converting four of them. Thing is – Sheffield Wednesday looked absolutely dreadful in defending. It was Newcastle 6-1 Spurs kind of bad, except Wednesday finished the season 22 points ahead of Posh.
It was an almost cruel sequence of events when a torrent of Sheffield Wednesday attempts either clipped the bar or were cleared off the goal line, only for Posh to score on the other end.
It isn’t easy getting out of League One once you drop in there. Just look at Portsmouth! Even Derby and Wycombe have struggled this season. And we all know about Sunderland’s dark years in the third tier.
If Wednesday want to have any chance of making it out, they need to send five past Posh. Judging how their players capitulated in the first leg, I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Sheffield Wednesday and Peterborough kick off at 8pm GMT / 3pm EST on Thursday.
Fitzie’s track of the day: Con Le Mie Lacrime, by The Rolling Stones
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