Peterborough 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0: Owls’ failure could have severe repercussions

Even a draw at London Road would have been enough to stave off the threat of relegation, and would have saved Huddersfield and left Barnsley with their fate in their own hands.

But Wednesday succumbed to a second-half Grant McCann free-kick in the tea-time kick-off which took Posh out of the relegation zone and to within a point of the Owls.

Wednesday manager Dave Jones said: “There were a lot of nervous people out there and it was always going to take something special to win the game.

“We didn’t do any better or worse than Peterborough did, but they had that one moment that mattered. It was sloppy on our part to concede the free-kick.

“There are several teams still in danger but our destiny is in our own hands and that is what is important. We’re not in the position of having to rely on other results.”

Posh could have hit the front early on when Dwight Gayle lost his footing at the crucial moment when attempting to convert a Lee Tomlin pass. That allowed Miguel Llera to scramble clear.

Wednesday man Seyi Olofinjana was denied by a brilliant Gaby Zakuani block at the other end before Anthony Gardner fluffed the visitors’ best chance when planting a close-range header wide after being picked out by a Danny Pugh corner.

The deadlock was eventually broken in sublime style when McCann curled a brilliant 64th-minute free-kick past Chris Kirkland and in off the post, and Wednesday created little in response.

Leroy Lita forced Bobby Olejnik into a smart save seven minutes from time but then lost his composure when lashing wide.

Peterborough: Olejnik, Alcock, Bostwick, Zakuani, Rowe, Mendez-Laing, Payne, McCann, Pritchard, Tomlin, Gayle. Unused substitutes: Day, Brisley, Barnett, Newell, Ferdinand, Knight-Percival, McDonald.

Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland, Buxton, Gardner, Llera, Pugh, Maguire, McCabe, Coke, Olofinjana, Helan, Howard. Unused substitutes: Bywater, Taylor, Semedo, Madine, Mattock, Lee, Lita.

Referee: N Miller (Durham).

Man of the match: Lee Tomlin.