Sheffield Wednesday make history with incredible four-goal play-off comeback and shootout win
Sheffield Wednesday pulled off the biggest comeback in Football League play-off history as a stunning fightback booked their place in the League One final thanks to a 5-3 win on penalties after overturning a four-goal first-leg deficit to win 5-1 after extra time. Hillsborough needed early goals to set this tie alight and got two in the first 25 minutes courtesy of a Michael Smith penalty and Lee Gregory, although Peterborough had chances through Ephron Mason-Clarke and Kwame Poku to put the tie to bed but Cameron Dawson stood strong to deny them. Reece James pulled the hosts to within one of Peterborough’s aggregate lead with 20 minutes to go and Hillsborough’s roof came off when Liam Palmer made it four with the last kick of normal time. Peterborough nudged ahead once again in extra time after Gregory nodded into his own net and Wednesday extraordinarily pulled level through Calum Paterson, resulting in penalties - Wednesday’s sensational comeback was sealed when Jack Hunt converted after Dan Butler hit the crossbar with the only miss of the shootout. Wednesday’s wish of an early goal came true after Marvin Johnson was brought down by Joe Ward inside the area - Smith sent Will Norris the wrong way to cut the deficit to three just eight minutes in to breathe life into the encounter. Peterborough had a chance to restore their large advantage 10 minutes later when Poku found himself in space inside the area but rifled an effort straight at Dawson. Posh were catching Wednesday on the break as they went in search for an early second, and had another chance but Mason-Clarke’s effort from outside the area needed saving by Dawson again. The Owls halved Peterborough’s aggregate advantage 25 minutes in after Paterson found himself out wide with the ball again, his low cross was turned home by Gregory with goalkeeper Norris in no man’s land. Peterborough remained a threat on the counter-attack and almost got their much needed goal when Mason-Clarke latched onto a through ball by Jack Taylor but was denied by Dawson for the second time in the half to keep the score at 2-0. The hosts started the second half in similar fashion to the first and Norris made an outstanding save to palm away Gregory’s goalbound bicycle kick. Wave after wave of Wednesday attack was coming at the Posh defence, who were seemingly stumbling their way through the tie - this time - Josh Windass’ first-time strike was met by Norris to deny another goal. It seemed only a matter of time before Darren Moore’s side struck again, and they did just that when James found himself one-on-one with Norris and coolly slotted home to set up a nervy last 20 minutes. The hosts thought they had their fourth but Dominic Iorfa’s free header from inside the area flew straight into the grateful grasp of Norris. Peterborough looked to have booked their place at Wembley but Wednesday had other ideas as the clock went into the 98th minute, a long ball into the box was met by the head of Aden Flint and Palmer bundled home to send the game into extra time. The visitors edged ahead in this remarkable play-off meeting when Butler’s free-kick was nodded into his own net by Gregory under pressure from Nathan Thompson. Wednesday looked down and out again but roared back with another equaliser in the 112th minute when Paterson stabbed home and sent the game to a penalty shootout and Butler’s miss miss proved crucial as Hunt’s winning kick signalled a pitch invasion. Read More It’s too easy – Darren Moore hails attempts to ‘shut down’ online racist abusers ‘Struggling’ Tommy Spurr steeled for charity fundraiser in aid of his son David Moyes concerned for family after trouble mars West Ham victory David Moyes concerned for family after trouble mars West Ham victory Jose Mourinho into another European final as Roma set up Sevilla showdown Eddie Howe says Newcastle win ‘huge’ but warns still work to do in top-four hunt
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2023-11-23 07:46
Man City being driven to title by man of the moment – and it’s not Erling Haaland
Ilkay Gundogan isn’t leaving it quite as late this year. Twelve months ago, his goals won Manchester City the title: a comeback-clinching 81st-minute decider against Aston Villa on the final day of the season sealed the trophy. Now City’s May has consisted of more Gundogan goals to set up another coronation. After the captain’s brace against Leeds came a still better double at Everton, a volley of improvisational brilliance and a free kick he made look enviably easy, sandwiched by an assist. His 300th City appearance ranks as one of his finest. Having not struck twice in a game since last May, he has done so in successive league matches. When the business end of the season arrives, Gundogan becomes more purposeful. It is inspirational leadership but with a velvet touch. His excellence could render Arsenal’s results irrelevant. He is keeping the Gunners at bay while the newly anointed Footballer of the Year, Erling Haaland, is instead waging war on Everton’s past. His 52nd goal of the campaign means he now needs 11 to equal Dixie Dean’s record for a top-flight English club, set almost a century ago. Although, as he only has one goal in his last three games, the equation is weighted in favour of Everton’s greatest goalscorer. In one respect, Haaland produced a performance of extreme efficiency: when, in the 39th minute, he met Gundogan’s deft cross with a towering leap and an emphatic header, it was only his third touch of the afternoon. But he had scored from 33 per cent of them. He ended up with 13 touches and one goal. In a sense, City reflected Haaland: nothing much happened for quite some time and then they were deadly. Half an hour of nothingness at the start suited Everton, with the league leaders not even registering a shot on target until the 35th minute, but The Toffees conceded three goals within a quarter of an hour either side of the break. They were preceded by a glaring miss, with Mason Holgate hoofing the ball over the bar from four yards, and Everton’s chances of a shock came and went with one wild swing of his right foot. If City had lacked a little incision at the start, it was unsurprising. Pep Guardiola had rested much of his preferred midfield with Real Madrid in mind, taking out Kevin de Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Jack Grealish and the quasi-regista John Stones. But his captain was constant and a catalyst. City’s 11th straight league win stemmed from a couple of touches of class: first with Gundogan’s knee, to control Riyad Mahrez’s cross, and then with his right boot, as he hooked in a volley in a way few others could envisage, let alone execute. The paradox of City is that they have a robotic air, as though putting training ground routines into practice on the pitch, but can sometimes rely on individual virtuosity: five days after De Bruyne’s spectacular strike in the Bernabeu came a different kind of wonder goal. And, a couple of minutes later, a far more familiar one. Haaland’s giant leap has added another dimension to the City attack and he headed in Gundogan’s cross. When the German’s free-kick flew past Jordan Pickford, the goalkeeper perhaps ought to have done better. It was, though, a throwback to past title-clinching exploits. Gundogan had only scored from one previous free-kick in the Premier League: at Brighton, in May 2019, as City finished one point ahead of Liverpool. For Everton, the quest is to end up ahead of two out of Leeds, Leicester and Nottingham Forest, and earn a 70th successive season in the top flight. Last week’s five-goal demolition of Brighton felt like a mirage even if elite opponents called for a very different approach. They began with nine outfield players in a narrow box just outside their own area and were camped behind the ball. The eventual scoreline represented one kind of improvement. At Burnley, Sean Dyche had a habit of losing 5-0 to City, usually playing 4-4-2. Here the gameplan was different: a scorer of two goals against Brighton and involved in four, Dwight McNeil was an auxiliary defender, dropping in at left-back to make five at the back. Dyche ended with a 5-4-1 shape, too, rather than risking any further damage. Which, as his record now stands at 15 defeats in 16 games against Guardiola, with no wins, five goals scored and 54 conceded, is perhaps understandable. There might have been a sixth goal when Ederson tipped Amadou Onana’s header on to the bar. Everton could question if Aymeric Laporte deserved to escape unpunished when he seemed to lash out at Yerry Mina. But they have two games now, against Wolves and Bournemouth, to ensure they evade the drop. For Gundogan, and City, the season may yet bring three trophies. Read More Arsenal won’t stop digging for Premier League title, Mikel Arteta vows Jurgen Klopp backs Liverpool to revive title rivalry with Man City next season Guardiola hails ‘incredible’ Kevin De Bruyne as his stunning goal keeps Champions League tie in balance
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